UNC Lineberger is home to many remarkable stories. Even so, some stand out.
Take Akhil Tumuluri, a senior at N.C. School of Science and Math (NCSSM) in Morganton, North Carolina. At just 16 years old, he is already an active lab researcher and has co-authored a manuscript on NRF2–RAS interactions in cancer.
It all started when Tumuluri met Bernard E. Weissman, PhD, Co-associate Director of Cancer Research Training Education Coordination (CRTEC) and member of the UNC Lineberger Cancer Genetics Research Program.
Through CRTEC, Weissman helps build the cancer workforce of tomorrow, providing training and career development from middle and high school students to postdocs and faculty.
From NCSSM Morganton to UNC Lineberger
Tumuluri became interested in cancer research after learning more about cancer’s impact on his extended family.
“It stayed with me,” he said. “It made me curious about the science behind cancer and motivated me to look for ways I could make a difference. I thought if I become a physician-researcher, I could be part of the solution and help improve health outcomes in North Carolina communities.”
The UNC opportunity took shape after he told his father he wanted to focus on cancer research.
Tumuluri was introduced to Kristen Duggleby, Director of Development for UNC Lineberger at the UNC Health Foundation, who then connected Tumuluri with Weissman.
Most student internships at UNC Lineberger come through established relationships with local schools, so opportunities are harder to access for students elsewhere in the state.
But Weissman decided to respond. Their first meeting was in May 2025, near the end of Tumuluri’s sophomore year.
“I could tell right away he was very bright and prepared,” Weissman said. He shared a draft manuscript and background resources, and Tumuluri spent weeks studying them.
“I was Googling three to five words per sentence,” Tumuluri said. “Dr. Weissman walked me through the concepts and helped me understand them.”
“The fact that he read and understood the literature is impressive for a high school student,” Weissman said. “That showed so much drive.”
Decoding NRF2–RAS crosstalk
Weissman’s lab studies NRF2, a pathway that normally helps cells cope with environmental damage like smoke and exhaust. In cancer, however, NRF2 can be switched on constantly, helping tumors survive and resist treatment.
Tumuluri joined a project using bioinformatics to analyze how mutations in NRF2 and RAS, the first oncogene discovered in human cancers, occur together in human cancers (especially lung cancer) and how that affects response to new RAS inhibitors.
“Cancer cells that have a mutation in this NRF2 pathway show a correlation with resistance to the new RAS inhibitors,” Weissman said. “That has implications for treatment and may point to ways to overcome resistance.”
“The main part of our project is deciphering NRF2–RAS crosstalk,” added Tumuluri. “I focused on the bioinformatics, using data from our studies and helping turn those results into a manuscript.”
Over 14 months, Tumuluri repeatedly impressed Weissman. “He would come back with an extensive list of references,” Weissman said. “And if I quizzed him, he understood them. In some ways, he had a better idea of what to put in the results section than many incoming graduate students.”
The manuscript is nearing submission, and Tumuluri will be co–first author. “I can’t believe I’m part of contributing so much to something so important,” he said.
From screen to bench
Normally, students under 18 must be part of a larger, sanctioned program to work in a campus lab, but Weissman knew Tumuluri’s talent merited extra effort.
“I basically had to create ‘the Weissman summer experience,’” he laughs. “Once I learned the approval process for students under 18, it wasn’t as onerous as expected.”
Weissman also had the support of Robert L. Ferris, MD, PhD, the Executive Director of UNC Lineberger and Chief of Oncology Clinical Services for UNC Health. “Dr. Ferris saw the value and was willing to sign off on having a high school student in the lab.”
Once in the lab, Tumuluri worked on Western blots and protein analysis, mentored by lab technician Avery Denby. “It’s totally different than my high school lab because here, the data I’m collecting will actually be used,” he said. “The biggest thing was simply being allowed into a working lab — Dr. Weissman really trusted me and went out of his way to persuade leadership.”
“Golden hands” and joy in the lab
Weissman found that Tumuluri performed at a level comparable to incoming graduate students. “He has the ‘golden hands’—in lab-speak, that means a technique works the first time and can be replicated,” Weissman said.
“Doing research in the lab this past summer was one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had,” Tumuluri said. “It’s so cool that a high schooler like me can learn to use these complicated pieces of equipment.”
A model for future mentorship
The experience shows that high school students can contribute meaningfully—especially in bioinformatics—and that a combination of remote mentoring and targeted lab time can work. It also shows that the approval process is manageable.
“I hope Akhil’s story will increase UNC Lineberger faculty interest in working with talented high school students,” Weissman said. “More and more research incorporates bioinformatics, biostatistics and AI, and many high school students are adept in these areas. To my fellow researchers, I’d say: take a gamble—you might be surprised what you get.”
Tumuluri has applied for early admission to UNC-Chapel Hill with Honors Carolina, with plans to focus on computational biology and further pursue an MD/PhD degree at UNC-Chapel Hill.
“CRTEC’s mission is to train North Carolina students to become leaders in science and translational medicine, so I’m delighted that he plans to stay in North Carolina,” Weissman said. “The ultimate outcome would be for him to become an oncology surgeon, faculty member, and Cancer Center member.”
Tumuluri believes he is on the right path. “I want to help cure disease, so people don’t have to suffer or grieve for their loved ones,” he said.