While these organizations are focused specifically on accessibility, through the 中文无码 Action Grants program, all 53 grantees were invited to participate in a webinar to learn more about programming focused on the topic. The webinar was led by , an accessibility and inclusion consultant with a background in accessibility in the performing arts who has recently also served as the accessibility coordinator for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. All 53 community-centric organizations selected through the 中文无码 Action Grants program received between $3,000 to $5,000 to help support their work.

in Columbus, Ohio, connects people from around the world who are blind or low-vision and have an interest in 中文无码 to the resources they need to succeed in fields of their choice. In addition to sharing resources, this organization develops and provides programming from 中文无码 camps to career training to help children and youth worldwide build the skills and knowledge base they need to succeed in 中文无码 fields. The organization received $4,000 through the 中文无码 Action Grants program and will use that money to develop 中文无码 curricula.

The in Norfolk, Virginia, is the largest botanical garden in the state and is home to the award-winning children鈥檚 garden, World of Wonders. This garden has educational opportunities for learners of all ages, with options to explore flora from across the globe, learn about edible plants, participate in scavenger hunts and much more. Norfolk Botanical Gardens realized that the World of Wonders needed to be more accessible for all and will be using their $4,000 grant to install raised garden beds to better meet the needs of visitors with disabilities. The garden aims to inspire young people to develop a passion for a future in green industries. 聽These improvements will inspire even more children to develop a deep and lasting passion for nature.

is an organization in Avon Park , Florida, which provides vocational and life skills training for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Inspired by a lack of resources available to their son, Franklyn and Mary Ellen Ward founded Ridge Area Arc to offer education and training for disabled children in the area. What began as a day school which served 17 children now provides 10 services, including training programs in agriculture and 中文无码, to approximately 190 individuals from the region with developmental and other disabilities. Ridge Area Arc received $3,000 through the 中文无码 Action Grants program and will put this funding toward a soil science curriculum and equipment as part of their AG-中文无码 training.

is an organization based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, dedicated to breaking down barriers to 中文无码 education and careers for individuals with disabilities. Their programming includes a 中文无码 mentorship for blind students, a research initiative advancing disability inclusion in space travel, and a professional networking group that shares best practices in making 中文无码 accessible to all. SciAccess is building a global community of learners and 中文无码 practitioners, and the $5,000 they received will cover the ASL interpreting and CART captioning needs for their events. Their 2024 Conference will bring together a diverse community of researchers, professionals, students, educators, employers, and disability rights advocates, who are working together to expand skills, knowledge and opportunities in 中文无码 fields for individuals with disabilities.

is based in Cincinnati, Ohio, and uses 3D printing to connect the blind and sighted communities by bringing together volunteers to print and distribute 3D-printed models that aid blind students in their studies. The organization also aims to spread awareness of the importance of accessible materials and independent living skills for blind individuals. See3D was initially founded as a printing request service for blind students, their parents and teachers. However, the organization now focuses on helping others start their own 3D printing programs to create even more pathways for accessing these key learning materials. A two-year grantee, See3D will use the $5,000 grant they received through the 中文无码 Action Grants program to develop a more skilled volunteer base and purchase supplies.

(TKU) is a Brooklyn-based organization on a mission to use computer science and technology skills to change the lives of neurodiverse students. This nonprofit inspires young people with disabilities to come together in a supportive environment to create, develop and share tools that help them pursue a future in tech.聽By creating supporting and nurturing individualized environments, TKU aims to shift the paradigm for education and employment for neurodiverse students and address gaps in access. TKU has received its third consecutive award of $5,000 through the program, which will again support their Digital Agency, a learning program for teens and young adults. The program offers work-based learning opportunities which mimic a real work environment, with client-based projects that include logos, websites, videos and more.

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The panel answered finalists鈥� questions and offered insights on everything from the role of AI in medicine to strategies for discovering new research ideas. Below are some of the best tidbits of advice shared by this incredible group of scientists.

Dianne on doing interdisciplinary research: You should develop depth and expertise in something. That doesn’t mean that you can’t be conversant in different fields, but in my experience, it’s difficult to have depth in much more than a couple of things. Pick the thing that really speaks to you and try to be the best you can at that. Try to be aware of other fields that can creatively help drive what you care about forward but collaborate with other experts. Don’t try to be a jack of all trades and a master of none.

Thomas on how best to take advantage of a 中文无码 education: As you go ahead with your education, there’s a certain trend now to think that you should master a vocational skill. I think it’s more important to follow your curiosity to general skills in terms of problem solving. And then, because the world is changing so quickly, if you get that sort of confidence and that sort of experience, you can apply those skills to whatever problem arises.

Elissa on if an elite university is necessary: I think that it matters a lot less where you go than what you do when you get there. There’s just a big focus right now on where you go to college and there’s a lot of stress associated with it, but there are extremely successful people who have taken so many different career paths, whether they took some time off and then went to college. Wherever you go, there will be opportunities. The key is to try to learn from the people around you as much as you can and seek out opportunities for yourself.

Cato on seeking out research opportunities as an undergraduate: I have about 50 students between postdocs, grad students and undergrads. The majority of students get in the door by contacting me or one of the other scientists in the institute to come in. When we鈥檙e contacted, we expect that, number one, someone’s read a paper that I or someone else in the lab has written that they really liked, and that they’ve read a review paper, so they know what’s going on. But it鈥檚 expected that you鈥檒l knock on doors, just be sure to show your interest and professors will reward that.

W.E. Moerner on whether he would change his path: I did not start out thinking that I would get a Nobel Prize, and I want to urge you not to have that kind of a path in mind either. You want to do what’s right in front of you and enjoy it and learn from it, and then go to the next. You can learn so much more that way. But in my case, the whole story of my life is just a sequence of coincidences. And I wouldn’t really want to change any of it, but of course, if I did it again, it all would be different.

If you want to revisit the excitement of Regeneron ISEF, check out the highlights reel .

The post Top tips from award-winning scientists at Regeneron ISEF 2024 appeared first on 中文无码.

Some pins took the shape of a state, country or flag, while some represented finalists鈥� homes in other ways. Team Illinois handed out pins made from pennies or shaped like Abraham Lincoln, while team Australia gave out stuffed koalas which hugged the recipient’s lanyard.

This year, nearly 1,700 finalists from 370 affiliated fairs traveled from 67 countries, regions and territories to participate in Regeneron ISEF. The pin exchange is one of the first opportunities the finalists have to socialize, spend time together, and meet students from around the world who share their passion for 中文无码.

鈥淭he pin exchange really exposed me to other cultures. People were very friendly and outgoing, it helped me to learn more about the finalists than just their science,鈥� one finalist from Florida shared. 鈥淚t was really nice to engage with everyone, see their ISEF categories, and make new friends along the way,鈥� he added.

One finalist from Taiwan remarked that she enjoyed the pin exchange because 鈥渢he pins from other countries were adorable, and the exchange let me have a conversation with people from other places and learn about their cultures.”

Her teammate agreed, adding that the size of the event was surprising to her, and being in a room with this many successful young scientific researchers felt a little intimidating. 鈥淭his place is full of smart people, and it makes me nervous,鈥� she joked.

Numerous finalists dressed in traditional clothing from their homelands. Team Korea sported traditional hanbok, Team Houston donned sparkly blue cowboy hats, Team Germany wore colorful dirndls鈥� literally meaning 鈥測oung woman鈥檚 dress鈥� in German鈥攁nd some members of Team Iowa wore hats shaped like cobs of corn! 聽The pin exchange is a time-honored ISEF tradition which allows finalists to share important aspects of their culture, meet new friends and get excited for the incredible week ahead. The night ended with finalists gathering with their newly found friends to eat and socialize, their lanyards heavy with new pins.

Be sure to tune into the Grand Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 17 at 8:30 a.m. PDT using link.

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This tour was led by , who came in 10^th place in STS 2009 and currently serves as the Coralyn W. Whitney Curator of Gems and Minerals at the NMNH. The excursion offered finalists an opportunity to explore labs at the museum, giving them a peak into career paths that they may not have previously explored.

Ella Pilacek, who came in as the聽 7^th place winner at STS 2024, expressed enthusiasm for 鈥渢he chance to see the other side of these professional institutions and talk with experts that are usually 鈥榖ehind the scenes.鈥欌�� They also remarked that this type of trip really “showed the diversity of careers in research.鈥�

鈥淭his was my favorite part of STS,鈥� said Riya Tyagi, another STS 2024 finalist.

As for Gabriela, she shared that she was originally inspired to pursue curatorial work because museums sparked her love of minerals. 鈥淏eing able to work as a curator that decides what goes into the National Gem and Mineral Collection and what will go on exhibit at NMNH is a dream come true,鈥� Gabriela said.

For her own STS project Gabriela studied the pleochroism effect, an optical phenomenon in substances, such as crystals, where different colors are manifested when observed at different angles. She worked specifically in Oregon sunstones which she had mined herself in central Oregon during trips with her father. Science has always been a defining part of Gabriela鈥檚 life. With two biologists as parents, Gabriela knew from the age of seven that she wanted to become a mineralogist. This path was further honed by her time at STS, which she described as 鈥渢ransformational.鈥�

鈥淚t was a great introduction to crystallography, nanotechnology and gem science,鈥� Gabriela said about her research project. 鈥淚 brought the crystals and the project to a professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and he let me work in his lab for several years when I was in high school. Years later, other scientists are still consistently studying these stones, which is exciting.鈥�

On the evening of the 2009 STS gala Gabriela sat next to then-curator of the NMNH鈥檚 Gem and Mineral collection, . This auspicious seating arrangement sparked a mentorship which would eventually lead to Gabriela stepping into Jeffrey鈥檚 role after his retirement in 2023. Jeffrey served as the curator of Gems and Minerals for 32 years, and though he has stepped back from that role he has stayed with the Smithsonian Institute as Curator Emeritus and as a research associate.

This was not the first time Gabriela had met Jeffrey. They first met when she was 16. Gabriela recalled deciding 鈥渢hen and there鈥� that she wanted to pursue a career in gem and mineral curation. Reuniting with Jeffrey at the STS gala allowed them to stay in touch about Gabriela鈥檚 academic career until five years ago, when she began working at the NMNH.

Gabriela said that while she always knew she wanted to go into mineralogy, STS gave her 鈥減ermission to dream even bigger than I had before then. It was the first time that I truly considered what my long-term aspirations were鈥攁nd believed that they could actually happen.鈥�

鈥淪TS taught me to be bolder,鈥� Gabriela said. 鈥淚 still carry that with me.鈥�

She urges young scientists to 鈥渄ream big,鈥� and to let their passions guide them when it comes to building a foundation for their future careers. 鈥淔ind something that you love doing that鈥檚 beyond your abilities today, so you can grow into it and become an expert at it tomorrow,鈥� she advised.

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In 2010, Hayley founded , a personalized beauty subscription box, widely recognized for revolutionizing the subscription services market. In 2016 she became a partner at the investment group which gave Birchbox its seed funding: .

Hayley now dedicates her time to assisting tech start-ups in their early stages, with a focus on increasing diversity in the venture ecosystem through seed-stage investing.

Read on to hear more of her insights and advice for this year鈥檚 Regeneron STS finalists.

Recently, I heard that 70% of female CEOs suffer from imposter syndrome. As someone who has found such success with Birchbox in a time when not many women were securing this type of funding, did you experience this, and if so, how did you overcome imposter syndrome?聽

The way I deal with imposter syndrome is to go back to what is true, to go back to what is objective and known. On a day-to-day basis it鈥檚 easy for me to think, “Oh, my partners didn’t like that company that I brought in for us to invest in, maybe I’m not good enough.”

But I go back to my historical approval rate in the partner meetings over the last eight years. Because I’m such a data-driven person, using those numbers as a touchstone whenever I’m feeling that I don’t have what it takes can help get me back on track.

What emerging trends or industries are you particularly excited about investing in, and what potential challenges do you foresee in these areas?

We have been investing more in climate. The way we think about it is that there can’t be a trade-off. We believe in creating a service, good or product that is better for the planet, without the consumer having to pay more or creating any other friction. That’s the hurdle: humans aren’t very good at long-term thinking or being selfless. However, I think that when the incentives are properly aligned, there can be solutions that benefit both the planet and make consumers feel good.

When it comes to founding a successful business, what was one of the major hurdles you faced?

I think the initial funding phase was the trickiest part. The first time my co-founder and I went to fundraise, we had developed a beta version of the business while we were still in school. We put together a great deck and tied it up with a bow, like, “Look what we did. Can you please give us money so that we can continue?”

It didn’t land. It was too static, and we had wasted a lot of time, frankly, pitching what we had done historically, before we realized that we needed to just create a feeling of inevitability and momentum.

How do you approach evaluating the potential of a startup, particularly in industries that are rapidly evolving?

We evaluate the team. Who is this? What have they done before? What are they motivated by? A lot of time is spent understanding the person. Then we go into the market, the market dynamics and what is the problem that needs to be solved? Then, the solution. How does this compare to what else is out there?

At the early stage, we’re not looking for incremental improvements. We’re looking for orders-of-magnitude better. To be clear, we get it wrong all the time. That’s how venture is built. We invest in dozens of companies because we know that half or more of those companies are going to fail.

Looking back over your career thus far, can you tell us about a time you had a promising investment, but it didn’t go well and why?

Things don’t go well for a lot of different reasons, but the thing that I learned the more I have been in the world of venture is that it’s often not the market or the product. It often comes down to these squishy things of people, interpersonal relationships and motivations.

How has being a woman in the world of venture capital impacted your experience?聽 How have you persevered through any setbacks?

I think what makes for good investments is being able to see what could be different and having a different perspective than the consensus. What I’ve leaned into is understanding that my unique experience and my gender enable me to make investments that my partners wouldn’t have made if I was not part of the team. So, I don’t really treat it as adversity. I think who you are is part of your special skill set, and gender is a part of that.

Keen to follow their journey or aspire to be an STS finalist yourself? Sign up for program updates and be on the lookout for the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search application, set to arrive on June 1, 2024. Check out highlights from this year鈥檚 competition .

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Bart Bartlett (ISEF 1996), the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and Chair of Chemistry at the University of Michigan, leads a lab working on approaches to converting solar energy to easily storable chemical fuel. The lab uses a variety of synthetic and measurement techniques to build and assess tools which can tackle this fundamental challenge within the energy sector. Bart鈥檚 lab aims to create resources that have a wide-ranging impact for the cutting-edge research crucial to our energy future.

Bart received a bachelor’s in Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis, a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry from MIT and completed his Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley.

Fionn Ferreira (ISEF 2018) is a scientist and entrepreneur who has pioneered a magnet-based method for removing microplastics from the water. This method won second place in the Chemistry category at ISEF 2018. Fionn鈥檚 commitment to overcoming environmental challenges extends beyond these prizes; he has continued his work through his corporation, and his foundation, the .

Recognized by Forbes鈥� 30 Under 30 and honored with the European Patent Office鈥檚 Young Inventors Prize, Fionn remains determined to remove microplastics from our waterways while promoting a more sustainable way of using and reusing resources.

Fionn received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Chemistry from the University of Groningen.

Amanda Martinez (ISEF 1998) is Chief Creative Officer, Head of Brand at , a company working to create net zero carbon fuels from carbon dioxide in the air. With partners like American Airlines and BMW, Prometheus aims to compete with fossil fuel manufacturers to not only slash emissions but pull carbon from the air. In her current role Amanda shapes the look and feel of Prometheus鈥� brand identity.

Amanda has a background in science journalism and communications and has published pieces in Scientific American, The Atlantic, and The New Yorker. 聽Amanda is also an author with a forthcoming book on the topic of nostalgia, under contract with St. Martin鈥檚 Press. Amanda holds a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Playwriting from Yale University and a Master鈥檚 Degree in Science Writing from MIT.

Caryl Waggett (STS 1988) is the Chair of Global Health Studies and holds a position in the Environmental Science Department at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on the intersection of environmental science and public health, with recent work on elevated levels of lead found in children and homes in rural Northwest Pennsylvania. Her findings were key in identifying a widespread public health issue.

In 2007 Caryl a program called Healthy Homes 鈥� Healthy Children to test older homes for lead paint residue. This program has continued as a work-study program, which allows students to offer free in-home lead testing in Crawford County and serves as an important resource for medical and social service professionals in the region.

Caryl earned a Bachelor鈥檚 in Environmental Studies; Ecology and Evolution from Brown University and her Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy and Management from University of California, Berkeley.

Ron Sutherland (STS 1995) is the Chief Scientist at Wildlands Network, where he leads the organization鈥檚 science programs across North America. Wildlands Network collaborates with local partners across the continent to help safeguard wild spaces through scientific research and policy advocacy.

Based in Durham, North Carolina, Ron鈥檚 work focuses on habitat connectivity mapping, road ecology and species conservation. Ron has testified before congressional staff on conservation matters on multiple occasions, and between 2013 and 2015 he co-led an award-winning campaign which saved the 79,000-acre Hofmann Forest from being sold to private buyers.

Ron has a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Biology from North Carolina State University, a Master’s degree in Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy from the Nicholas School at Duke University.

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This March let鈥檚 look back nearly thirty years and celebrate a few of the women who have made the Society what it is today.

Dorothy Schriver: Director of the Science Talent Search and International Science and Engineering Fair (1942 鈥� 1990)

Dorothy Schriver was instrumental in launching the Westinghouse Science Talent Search (STS) in 1942 and served as its director for 28 years. She was also the director of the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), and in 1985 was awarded a NASA Public Service Award for her work on ISEF. Dorothy was a tireless for STS and ISEF finalists throughout her tenure. In her retirement, Dorothy volunteered at Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C. She in May of 2007.

Ann Ewing: Physical Science and Astronomy Writer, Science Service (1949 鈥� 1969)

Ann Ewing reported on astronomy, physics and medicine for Science Service and is as the first journalist to use the term 鈥渂lack hole鈥� in science journalism. In 1942 Ann joined the Navy and served overseas as a lieutenant and journalist during the Second World War. In 1952, Ann joined the Washington Press Club and was one of the first female members of the National Press Club once they began to admit women. She lived in the D.C. area for most of her life and in July of 2010.

Julie Ann Miller:
Editor in Chief, Science News (1995 鈥� 2007)

Julie Ann Miller began her career at Science News as a life sciences writer in 1976 and remained in that position until 1986. She then left for a position at another monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal, BioScience, where she served as an editor until she returned to Science News as the Editor in Chief in 1995. Julie led the magazine through the first redesign in its history and oversaw the creation of the online version of Science News as well as Science News for Kids. After her 12-year tenure at Science News, Julie became the Senior Manager of Publications for RTI International, and then transitioned to the role of Associate Director of Content Development for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. She is currently retired.

President and CEO, 中文无码 (2005 鈥� 2013)

Elizabeth Marincola served as President and CEO of 中文无码 from 2005 to 2013. Before coming to the Society, Elizabeth was the Executive Director of The American Society for Cell Biology from 1991 to 2005. During her eight years at the Society, she worked with Science News Editor in Chief Julie Ann Miller on the magazine鈥檚 first redesign, launching Kindle and iPad editions of the magazine to make it more accessible in an increasingly digital world. She also helped to revamp the website to include the latest stories in science. After her time at 中文无码 she became the CEO of the Public Library of Science until 2016. She now serves as the Senior Advisor for Open Science for the Alliance for Excellence in Science in Africa, the African Academy of Sciences and the Science for Africa Foundation.

: Editor in Chief, Science News (2012-2017)

Eva Emerson became Editor in Chief of Science News in 2012, after serving as Managing Editor of the magazine for five years. Before coming to the Society, Eva was Associate Editor of the Office of Communications at the University of Southern California Dornsife College of Letters, Arts & Sciences, where she edited and wrote for the alumni magazine and other campus publications. She was also a science content coordinator for the Magic School Bus television show from 1995 to 1996. Eva is currently the Editor in Chief at Knowable Magazine.

Explore the Society鈥檚 history further .

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Approximately 250 attendees convened to hear from this year鈥檚 talented group, congratulating them on their impressive achievements. We took some time to engage with seven students at the exhibition to gain insights into their current experiences and discover what they are particularly enthusiastic about as they look ahead.

Harshil Avlani
BASIS Chandler (Chandler, Arizona)
Project title: Analyzing the Effect of Mid-Circuit Measurement (MCM) on Spectator Qubits

Harshil Avlani studied the arrangement of qubits (units of information) located in quantum computers, hoping to reduce significant errors. He hopes his research could one day lead to performance improvement in quantum computing systems. What will Harshil be doing once he gets home from STS? He says, 鈥淚’m probably moving on to something new. I’ve started a new project on the intersection between quantum computing and transformers, the machine learning model. So, I’ll probably be doing a lot more research into that.鈥�

Alan Bu
Phillips Exeter Academy (Exeter, New Hampshire)
Project title: On the Maximum Number of Spanning Trees in a Planar Graph With a Fixed Number of Edges: A Linear-Algebraic Connection

Alan Bu鈥檚 math project sheds light on the structure of planar graphs by giving precise limits on how many spanning trees a planar graph can have. A spanning tree is the connecting point of vertices in a graph. What’s his favorite part of STS? 鈥淚’ve met a lot of amazing people here and I’ve learned a lot of things from them, and I want to grow as a person as well from this experience. I’ve also met a lot of people here from tons of different places, and I’m looking forward to potentially seeing them again in college, and maybe even doing research together in the future.鈥�

Ella Pilacek
Oviedo High School (Oviedo, Florida)
Project title: Promoting Attraction of Apis mellifera to the Synthetic Scent of the Endangered Orchid Prosthechea cochleata Using Pavlovian Conditioning and Direct Feeding Paradigms for Conservation

Ella researched ways to teach non-native honeybees how to pollinate an endangered native orchid species, potentially enhancing pollination rates and increasing the likelihood of species survival. What鈥檚 Ella most excited to bring home? She says, 鈥淭he connections that I’ve made with other people from a networking perspective. If I have physics question, there’s someone who just did an astrophysics project that I can talk to, who I can call and do homework with. Or even beyond that, the interactions with judges. I am excited for the feedback that I’m going to get from judges, hopefully at some point I can go and talk to them to ask, 鈥楬ey, what should I change?鈥� or 鈥榃hat do you think was a weak point?鈥� because obviously they can’t tell us during judging, but it would be helpful to get this feedback later.鈥�

Rhea Rastogi
Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School (Montgomery, Alabama)
Project title: Understanding How the Maternal Epigenetic Reprogramming Function of LSD1 Contributes to Inherited Developmental Disease

Rhea Rastogi explored histone methylation and found that errors in the histone regulation in the mother鈥檚 oocytes can lead to irregular gene expression patterns in offspring that give rise to behavioral defects. Her findings could provide insight into the epigenetic pathways of human patients suffering from Kabuki-like Syndrome. What鈥檚 she most excited to bring home from the competition? She says, 鈥淎ll the female finalists have built such a close bond. We’ve only seen each other for three days now, but there’s so much we relate to in terms of how we feel鈥攏ot just in this competition but in academics and our lives. I鈥檒l also be taking home the fact that I am now free to dream about anything I want. This experience is sort of a trampoline into my future career. Now I don’t have to doubt myself constantly; I know that I can do it. I just have to believe in myself.鈥�

Linus Tang
Davidson Academy Online (Reno, Nevada)
Project title: Extremal Bounds on Peripherality Measures

Linus Tang researched centrality and peripherality measures in graph theory for his math project. Applications could include tracing disease-spread and understanding systems of chemical interactions. What鈥檚 his favorite part of STS so far? 鈥淩ight now, I’m glad to have met the 39 other finalists. They are awesome people, and having met them is truly the most valuable part of this experience. I’m also happy that the Regeneron Science Talent Search has given me this opportunity to share my research with others.鈥�

Nathan Wei
Buchholz High School (Gainesville, Florida)
Project title: Novel Elastomeric Polystyrene Via Photopolymerization and Post-Functionalization of Durable Ultra-High Molecular Weight Perfluorostyrene Copolymers

Nathan developed a more sustainable way to create strong and durable plastic polymers that are also recyclable. He believes this approach should also work with biologically based raw materials, which would make the process even more sustainable. What鈥檚 next for his research? 鈥淚’m looking at a couple ways to continue this project. One thing I’m looking at is making bio-based polymers. Using biologically derived resources to build different polymers might have even better properties. And another interesting study I’m trying to do is investigate the properties of polymers when they’re extremely, extremely, extremely hot, and finding ways to do that.鈥�

Christopher Zorn
Irvington High School (Irvington, New York)
Project title: The Role of MYC in RET Fusion Tumorigenesis and RET Inhibitor Resistance

Christopher investigated the relationship between RET, a gene involved in cellular signals, and MYC, a set of genes that regulate cell growth and death. His findings suggest paths for further drug research targeting both RET and MYC. What is Christopher most excited about so far from STS Finals Week? 鈥淚’m just going to keep learning. I like constantly learning new things. I wouldn鈥檛 say STS changed my trajectory, but it definitely reaffirmed it. I think it’s very satisfying to get my hard work acknowledged in this way. I mean, I didn’t think I would get top 300, much less top 40. To be able to come here, talk to all these other kids who I know feel very similar things to me, it really is just a great experience.鈥�

This week, the 40 finalists are in Washington, D.C., competing for over $1.8 million in awards. for the announcement of the winners on March 12, 2024, and click here for the Virtual Public Exhibition of Projects, if you missed it in person.

Keen to follow their journey or aspire to be an STS finalist yourself? Sign up for program updates and be on the lookout for the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search application, set to arrive on June 1, 2024.

The post Insights from 7 Regeneron STS finalists at the Public Exhibition of Projects appeared first on 中文无码.

William Gao
Centennial High School (Ellicott City, Maryland)

鈥淭hree of my grandparents lost their lives before I had the chance to meet them due to cancer. By the time the tumors were discovered, they had already developed metastases, leaving them with limited options and a grim prognosis. This is a scenario that plays out every day in countless households in developing regions across the world, where cancer diagnoses all too frequently come late. It’s a stark reflection on the healthcare inequities that persist in our world today. This realization fueled my passion and commitment to research. After my first project, which utilized machine learning to diagnose high-risk patients during the pandemic, I saw AI as a new approach with immense capabilities for supporting patients in underserved communities. After observing the shortcomings of current AI research in the field, I set out with the goal of using machine learning to create innovative and practical solutions for addressing inequities in cancer diagnosis.鈥�

Sarang Goel
Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (Denton, Texas)

鈥淥ver the past five years, I鈥檝e witnessed a diabetic family friend gradually experience visual impairment, which has led to a significant loss of mobility due to navigational challenges. My concern for her motivated me to explore technologies that could help her regain her mobility and independence. Through my research I learned existing electronic travel aids and smart glasses can only address some of the challenges that over 250 million people with visual impairment in the world face. Many of these technologies are prohibitively expensive. While computer vision and machine learning approaches have been employed in proof-of-concept prototypes, there are currently no commercially available products. In recognizing these challenges, I embarked on an exciting personal journey to create a device that could provide mobility and navigational assistance using AI.”

Jacob Gross
Roslyn High School (Roslyn Heights, New York)

鈥淚n February of 2022, I began to meet with my mentor, Dr. Sho Iketani, over Zoom to discuss the Ho lab鈥檚 research and other scientific literature. My project was not assigned to me. Instead, I developed my own research objectives related to COVID-19. As I read scholarly literature prior to the summer of 2022, I quickly noticed that SARS-CoV-2 antibodies often lost efficacy against new variants, as mutations made it more difficult for antibodies to bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike. Considering structural biology, my first thought was: what if we combine antibodies together? Upon sharing my interest in antibody combinations with Dr. Iketani, we began to discuss the idea of synergy. I realized that the most interesting combination was one that exhibited synergy, where one antibody complements the efficacy of the other. Furthermore, research regarding synergy in the SARS-CoV-2 field was very limited. Therefore, I decided that my project would focus on researching synergistic interactions among antibodies.鈥�

Luke Huang
New Canaan High School (New Canaan, Connecticut)

“Growing up, I was surrounded by the aroma of my grandmother鈥檚 freshly baked treats and my grandfather鈥檚 mesmerizing tales of how physics underpinned the cosmos. Over the years, learning about the power of mathematics to create order from everything from celestial bodies to emergent systems, like human bodies and networks, instilled in me faith and a sense of vocation in transforming lives with quantitative sciences. During my freshman year of high school, my grandmother developed Alzheimer鈥檚. My long-time interest in the mathematics of life sciences took on a sharper focus during my freshman year of high school when my grandmother developed Alzheimer鈥檚 disease.”

Howard Ji
University High School (Irvine, California)

鈥淥n January 28, 2022, the Fern Hollow Bridge in Pittsburgh collapsed, injuring 10 people. Seeing how quickly the bridge fell, I began to worry about other infrastructure collapsing as well. What stopped the 405 bridge I use to get to school from failing? My fear turned into a real motive to understand why. I learned that the bridge had fallen from a defect, prompting me to think about an engineering solution that could detect defects early by using my previous experiences. I began digging into various solutions and found that all current technological solutions required navigation by a human to take pictures before uploading them later for post-processing, making them inefficient and limiting their accuracy. My goal was to build an autonomous robot capable of climbing bridges and creating a map of surface damage in real-time. This idea combined machine-learning and control system theory, and ultimately became the basis of my project.鈥�

Selina Zhang
North Hunterdon High School (Annadale, New Jersey)

鈥淪ince the spotted lanternfly first appeared in Berks County, Pennsylvania in 2014, this invasive species has spread across the East Coast, damaging plants and crops. I reside in New Jersey, a state that takes great pride in agriculture. Concerned that current approaches were insufficient to address spotted lanternfly infestation, I observed that traps and pesticides are often indiscriminate, and civilian 鈥渟eek and destroy鈥� efforts can鈥檛 readily reach the out-of-the-way places spotted lanternflies are found. I thought of a 鈥渄ecoy tree鈥� 鈥� if all the spotted lanternflies are busy on the fake tree, they are not busy on real trees. I really cemented this idea from seeing Singapore鈥檚 supertree grove. My primary engineering goal in the developing the AI-tree is to minimize harm to the environment by avoiding pesticides completely and preventing harm to creatures beyond the spotted lanternfly.鈥�

Charisse Zou
Dougherty Valley High School (San Ramon, California)

鈥淢y research journey began in my local flea market on a Saturday morning. As I strolled around under the scorching California sun, I encountered a vendor selling natural, homegrown honey. I chatted with the vendor and learned more about his apiary and the honeybee industry. I was devastated to hear that last winter, he had lost nearly 40% of all his colonies. After returning home I couldn鈥檛 seem to forget our conversation, and I delved deeper into the topic. Through my research I learned about the full extent of the issue, including the drastic decline of honeybees and their tremendous impact on the environment and agricultural industry. Ultimately, I came to a single, fundamental question that served as the driving spirit of my research 鈥� what could I do to alter the future of honeybee populations and the environment alike?鈥�

This week, the 40 finalists will come to Washington, D.C., competing for over $1.8 million in awards. They will engage in thrilling scientific events and opportunities across the city.聽聽for the announcement of the winners on March 12, 2024.

Keen to follow their journey or aspire to be an STS finalist yourself? Sign up聽聽for program updates and be on the lookout for the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search application, set to arrive on June 1, 2024.

The post 7 Regeneron STS finalists find project inspiration in surprising places appeared first on 中文无码.

In the sphere of community involvement and volunteering, this year鈥檚 finalists can be found:

• Serving as Youth Commissioner, appointed by the mayor of her city.
• Volunteering with a program that aims to help children with disabilities swim and feel comfortable in the water.
• Organizing a fully funded 中文无码 camp as well as a tutoring network with over 80 tutors who help underserved students with 中文无码 and standardized test prep.
• Serving as the student manager of a free community healthcare clinic.

When it comes to academics beyond the realm of 中文无码, this group of finalists is taking it to a new level by:

• Researching and authoring three history papers submitted for publication to academic journals.
• Becoming a top-rated national debater who has increased his club鈥檚 membership by tenfold.

This group of finalists is innovating outside of the lab with entrepreneurial pursuits which include:

• A fashion brand inspired by the heritage and history of Formula One which donates all profits to a 中文无码 education nonprofit.
• An AI-powered platform that streamlines workflows for scientific research in both industrial and academic settings.
• A TikTok platform dedicated to fashion which has amassed millions of views and several brand collaborations.

When it comes to athletic and artistic pursuits, the 2024 top 40 finalists enrich their lives through:

• Writing, recording and producing music, including an album which received over 150,000 streams in its first month.
• SCUBA diving to look for underwater life and shipwrecks.
• Competing as a nationally ranked fencer.
• Training in the most demanding form of ballet, the Vaganova technique.

Next week, the 40 finalists will come to Washington, D.C., competing for over $1.8 million in awards. They will engage in thrilling scientific events and opportunities across the city. for the announcement of the winners on March 12, 2024.

Keen to follow their journey or aspire to be an STS finalist yourself? Sign up for program updates and be on the lookout for the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search application, set to arrive on June 1, 2024.

The post How the Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists spend their free time appeared first on 中文无码.