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September 28, 2026

By Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science staff

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Alan Alwakeel developed an AI-powered model to simulate how cancer cells respond to different drug combinations while participating in the Science Program for the Advancement of Research Knowledge (SPARK).

Long before he set foot in a research lab, Alan Alwakeel was already asking big questions about medicine, technology and how to bring the two together. By the time he entered Mayo Clinic's SPARK (Science Program for the Advancement of Research Knowledge) program as a high school junior in the summer of 2024, he also was no stranger to experimenting with artificial intelligence. 

Still, SPARK offered something entirely different. The program, founded in 2017, is a highly competitive research mentoring experience that places high school students inside working laboratories at Mayo Clinic in Florida. Scholars are matched with physician-scientists and researchers to design and carry out their projects while building research, critical thinking and professional skills. 

Instead of joining an existing project as most SPARK participants do, Alan arrived with a concept that captured the attention of Mayo Clinic's research faculty. He wanted to find a better way to identify effective cancer treatments, combining his interests in medicine and computer science. 

That idea would become the foundation of a project that moved far beyond a typical high school research experience. 

Building a 'virtual cell' 

As a SPARK scholar, Alan began developing an AI-powered "virtual cell" — a computational model designed to simulate how cancer cells respond to different drug combinations. He worked under the mentorship of Cui Tao, Ph.D., chair of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics Research. 

The problem Alan set out to solve is well-known. Testing drug combinations in the lab is slow, expensive and limited by the number of experiments researchers can realistically perform. With thousands of potential combinations, identifying the most effective treatments becomes a daunting task.  

Alan's approach aimed to shift that process into a more automated one. 

"My goal was to create a simulation that could predict how cancer cells would respond to different therapies, allowing researchers to test hundreds of thousands of drug combinations virtually before validating the most promising ones in the lab," he says.  

His model integrates genomic and proteomic data, running large-scale biochemical simulations to predict whether drugs will work together or interfere with one another. After building the system, Alan validated it through laboratory experiments, demonstrating strong agreement between the model's predictions and real-world outcomes.  

From project to patent 

As his project gained attention, Alan connected with multiple Mayo Clinic scientists, including John Copland III, Ph.D., whose lab supported efforts to validate the virtual cell's performance. Dr. Copland quickly recognized that Alan and his work stood out. 

"He's done more than most people have done through a postdoctoral fellowship," says Dr. Copland.

As results began to take shape, the potential of the virtual cell became clear. With encouragement from Dr. Copland, Alan connected with Mayo Clinic Ventures to explore the next steps for the model. After presenting validation data and demonstrating the model's accuracy, Alan and his mentors moved forward with a provisional patent, filed in May 2025, followed by a non-provisional patent in May 2026.

The patent process marked a turning point. What began as a student-led research project has evolved into a technology with real-world applications.  

The team is now exploring licensing opportunities as well as further development of the model. 

SPARK is designed to immerse students in the realities of scientific work, which can include uncertainty, skepticism and high expectations. From the outset, Alan's mentors challenged him to prove that his idea was feasible. Rather than simplifying the project, they asked him to build the case for it himself. 

"They didn't hold my hand through it," he says. "They encouraged me to do all of the research myself and defend the project." 

Learning to think like a scientist 

SPARK students are treated as colleagues, not observers, and Alan embraced that role fully.  

Rather than directing each step, Dr. Copland and his colleagues provided access to lab space, tools and expertise, allowing Alan to execute his vision. He worked across departments, integrating AI with laboratory science to create a project that spanned multiple disciplines. 

That process required him to teach himself advanced concepts in biochemistry and computational modeling, then explain and defend those ideas in front of experienced researchers. It also meant learning how to communicate professionally, work with principal investigators and navigate the demands of a real research environment.

By the end of his senior year, Alan had accomplished things few students at any level achieve: a patented innovation, second-place Grand Award at the International Science and Engineering Fair, valedictorian at Stanton College Preparatory School and acceptance to Harvard University, where he plans to study neuroscience and computer science. 

He intends to continue developing the virtual cell while pursuing his goal of becoming a physician-scientist. His work remains grounded in the belief that technology should support clinicians and improve the efficiency of care. 

"AI allows us to test possibilities at a scale that would be impossible in a traditional laboratory. It helps us focus resources on the solutions most likely to help patients," he says.  

Through SPARK, that idea was given the space, mentorship and rigor needed to grow.