Honors College Launches BLOCKS Cancer Research Initiative

^{Above: BLOCK students at kickoff event for the program}

Ten Honors College students are spending the year inside labs at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Hollings Cancer Center, gaining hands-on experience in cancer research through an innovative partnership called BLOCKS: Building Learning Opportunities for Cancer, Knowledge and Success.

Funded by the Donaldson Charitable Trust, BLOCKS is a paid, yearlong mentored research experience for undergraduates in labs tackling some of the most pressing questions in cancer treatment and prevention.

“These are life-changing opportunities for College of Charleston students,” says Suzanne Austin, executive vice president of academic affairs and College of Charleston provost. “We are very grateful to our colleagues at the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center for their support of this important collaboration. And we look forward to expanding our partnership in ways that benefit both institutions.”

Benjamin Toll, founder of the BLOCKS program and associate director of education and training at the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, was intentional about building a pipeline from the College to MUSC.

“We are literally blocks away,“ says Toll. “These remarkable students from the Honors College are the future. They will go on to medical, graduate, allied health, pharmaceutical, nursing and dental schools and we want them to take the skills they learn in BLOCKS and stay in South Carolina.”

Students in the program work up to 20 hours a week during the academic year, paired with mentors who guide them through projects in biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology and public health.

“The BLOCKS projects offer much more than a basic introduction to medical research,” says Beth Meyer-Bernstein, dean of the Honors College. “These students are contributing to high-level, specialized research that aligns with their particular career goals. It’s highly impressive work for undergraduates to take on.”

For sophomore Emalee Norris, the experience is a step closer to her dream of specializing in pediatric trauma. A biology major in the Honors College, Norris works in the lab of Dennis Guttridge, professor in the department of pediatrics and director of the Darby Children’s Research Institute.

“From the very beginning, he emphasized the importance of wanting to do research, not just needing to do it,” says Norris, who is juggling 17 credit hours, night shifts at MUSC and her lab work. Despite the hard work, her mom is always there to offer encouragement and tells her to “just keep going.”

Senior Caolin Witherspoon is also juggling a heavy workload, balancing three part-time jobs, 17 credit hours and lab work, all while planning to pursue a Ph.D. To relieve stress, she turns to kickboxing classes. Majoring in biology with a minor in crime, law and society, she aspires to become a DNA analyst specializing in forensic science. Her mentor, Antonis Kourtidis, associate professor in the department of regenerative medicine and cell biology, studies cell-cell adhesion complexes in regenerative medicine. Witherspoon is researching Type 2 diabetes and colon cancer in a wet lab focused on RNA.

“I wanted the challenge,” she says. “My advice to students interested in this program is to talk to your professors, there are no dumb questions.”

BLOCKS gives students the chance to literally get hands-on experiences in groundbreaking cancer research, work with leading researchers and get paid for their time without leaving the peninsula.

Applications for next year’s cohort will open in January 2026. For Honors students ready to learn, contribute and lead in biomedical research, this is an opportunity to make an impact on science and on their future.