RTW Foundation launches fourth year of BioQuest STEM mentoring

RTW Foundation is starting the fourth year of BioQuest after reaching more than 300 students over three years and adding new summer internship opportunities. The expanded program deepens hands-on STEM exposure, college prep and career mentoring for middle and high school students in New York City.

Why it matters: - BioQuest is widening access to STEM learning, mentorship and career exposure for middle and high school students in New York City. - The program is building a longer pipeline, from middle school programming to high school leadership opportunities and now college-alumni internships. - The new summer internship model gives students paid research experience in rare disease science and biomedical innovation.

What happened: - RTW Foundation launched the fourth year of BioQuest with co-creators Areté Education, Hunts Point Alliance for Children, Futures Ignite and Mott Hall II. - During the 2025–2026 academic year, BioQuest reached more than 150 middle and high school students. - Over three years, the program has reached more than 300 students. - The foundation also launched its inaugural BioQuest Summer Catalyst Program, a five-week paid summer internship for high school students. - RTW Foundation launched its first paid internship for a BioQuest college alumni student.

The details: - BioQuest hosted 11 specialized STEM events during the academic year. - Students met engineers, researchers, innovators and medical professionals through hands-on experiments, laboratory visits, mentorship and career exploration. - Program visits included the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Deerfield, BioBus, GenSpace, The Advanced Science Research Center, The DNA Learning Center and The New York Structural Biology Center. - At CUNY City College, students explored neuroscience through brain-wave monitoring and robotics interfaces with scientists. - At The DNA Learning Center, students studied lactose intolerance, built mini bioreactors to create lactose-free milk and learned how gene therapy can treat genetic diseases. - The Ambassadors Program expanded this year and gave selected high school students leadership development, mentorship, college preparation and STEM career access. - Ambassadors spent a day at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. - That visit included hands-on ultrasound and AI-powered surgery simulations, research lab tours and conversations with medical students, postdoctoral researchers, faculty and Penn Medicine leadership. - The Summer Catalyst Program focused on spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA. - Students studied SMA through genetics, clinical care, patient advocacy, community impact and biomedical innovation. - Interns worked alongside researchers, clinicians, scientists and industry professionals. - The internship ended with student presentations on their findings and the value of rare disease research. - The college-alumni internship supported summer programming and curriculum development for future BioQuest offerings. - RTW Foundation says it plans to build a pipeline of support and opportunities for college-aged students as the alumni network grows. - The foundation was founded in 2018 as the philanthropic arm of RTW Investments, LP. - RTW Foundation supports community initiatives, scientific advising, medicines for neglected rare diseases, youth STEM pathways and health equity partnerships in New York City. - More information is available at rtwf.org. - BioQuest partnership inquiries can go to Steve Raymundo at bioquest@rtwf.org. - The foundation shared social media links for LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

Between the lines: - BioQuest is moving beyond one-off enrichment and toward a layered talent pipeline that starts with exposure, adds leadership and then extends into paid internships. - The mix of medicine, biotechnology and rare disease research suggests RTW Foundation is tying youth development to its broader health and scientific mission. - The program’s partnership model appears designed to give students access to institutions and professionals they may not otherwise reach.

What's next: - RTW Foundation plans to launch BioQuest’s fourth academic year this fall. - The foundation intends to keep expanding partnerships across science, medicine, biotechnology and education. - RTW Foundation also plans to grow opportunities for college-aged BioQuest alumni as the network expands.

The bottom line: - BioQuest is becoming a larger, more structured STEM pathway for New York City students, with paid internships now joining its mentoring and enrichment programs.