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This year, approximately 1,800 students entered the Regeneron STS, where they “submit original research in critically important scientific fields of study.” The organization said that the search is “unique among high school competitions in the US and globally, (as the) Regeneron STS focuses on identifying, inspiring, and engaging the nation's most promising young scientists.”
Judges narrowed the field to just 300, based on their research skills, commitment to education, innovative thinking, and prospects as a scientist.
The 26 students selected from the Hudson Valley received $2,000 both for themselves and as well as their schools. From the pool of semifinalists, 40 will be chosen as finalists and invited to Washington, D.C in March for their final judgment, where they will compete for more than $1.8 million in awards during a weeklong competition.
According to the judges, in 2017, Regeneron became only the third sponsor of the Science Talent Search, increasing the overall awards distribution to better reward the best and brightest young minds.
“Through its 10-year, $100 million commitment, Regeneron nearly doubled the overall award distribution to $3.1 million annually, increasing the top award to $250,000 and doubling the awards for the top 300 scholars and their schools to $2,000 each to inspire more young people to engage in science," officials said.
"Congratulations to this year's 300 Regeneron Science Talent Search scholars for their remarkable contributions and discoveries in the STEM field," Christina Chan, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Citizenship at Regeneron said. "We are honored to celebrate this new generation of problem solvers who have demonstrated the depth of their innovative thinking, commitment to continuous learning, and ability to tackle global challenges in creative ways."
This year's local Regeneron scholar semifinalists and their research projects include:
Westchester
- Armaan Ahmen, Scarsdale High School: "Design of a SHERLOCK-Based Low Resource Screening Assay for HIV-1 Drug Resistance;"
- Derek Araki-Kurdyla, Byram Hills High School: "Elucidating the Role of Environmental Context in Carbon Sequestration and Preservation of Seagrass Sediment Carbon through Analysis of Sediment Grain Size and Carbon Lability;"
- Edith Bachmann, Byram Hills High School: "Tell Me a Story: The Effects of Storytelling vs. Story-Reading on the Executive Functions of Fourth Grader;"
- Mai Blaustein, Harrison High School: "Identification of Chemical Contaminants in Spiked Beverages With the Use of Infrared Spectroscopy through Development of an Inexpensive and Inconspicuous Device to Identify Date Rape Drugs;"
- Natalie Calman, Ossining High School: "Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Training Improves the Emotional Well-Being of Adolescents;"
- Rose Cioffi, Ossining High School: "Chronic Exercise Paired With Immersive Virtual Reality Reduces Stress and Improves Cognitive Performance in Adolescents;"
- Emily Dodd, Somers High School: "Altered Homer1b/c and mGluR1/5 Volumes and Colocalization in Parkinson’s Disease-Linked LRRK2 G2019S Mice;"
- Brooke Dunefsky, Irvington High School: "A Novel Device that Utilizes Neuroplasticity for the Rehabilitation of Stroke Victims;"
- Maggie Graseck, Rye High School: "Oysters and Crabs: Comparing the Eating Habits of Hemigrapsus sanguineus and Panopeus herbstii;"
- Riley Keating, Eastchester High School: "Simulating the Impacts of Climate Change on Hurricanes Using the Columbia Hazard (CHAZ) Model;"
- Andrew Kelly, Pelham Memorial High School: "The Purification of Oleic Acid and the Effect of Oleic Acid Purity on the Size of CdSe Nanocrystals;"
- Sydney Levy, Byram Hills High School: "Revealing the Mechanosensitive-ATP-Purinergic Signaling Pathway That Underlies Fibrosis Resulting from Mitral Valve Prolapse;"
- Ann Liu, Pelham Memorial High School: "Investigating Strategies for Retinal Regeneration in Mammals via a Meta-Analysis of Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Datasets;"
- Nyasha Nyoni, Ossining High School: "Unhealthy Scrolling: Instagram Influencers Endorse More Unhealthy Food and Beverage Products Compared to Celebrities;"
- Jerry Orans, Mamaroneck High School: "Development of a Multi-Terrain RHex Leg for Swimming, Running, and Climbing;"
- Katherine Pflieger, Harrison High School: "The Addition of Functional Groups to the BNM-III-170 Molecule to Improve the Efficiency of Its Inhibitory Abilities by Decreasing the Effectiveness of the CD4 Receptors on the gp-120 Molecule;"
- Emily Pizzorusso, Byram Hills High School: "Color My World: Identifying Differences Between Females and Males in Types and Clusters of Synesthesia;"
- Anika Puri, Horace Greeley High School: "A Novel Real-Time Wildlife Poacher Detection Solution Leveraging Machine Learning-Driven Spatio-temporal Analysis of Nighttime UAV Thermal Infrared Videos;"
- Aaron Song, Ossining High School: "Elucidating Terrestrial Optical Refrigeration through Transpiration in Rhizophora mangle and Chlorophyll a Fluorescence in Low-Polarity Mediums;"
- Mark Takken, North Salem High School: "Transferring Go AI to New Topological Surfaces Without Additional Training;"
- Cameron Takmil, Ossining High School: "Effects of Virtual Learning on Education: Disparities Linked to Socioeconomic Status and Resiliency Diminished Amidst the Pandemic;"
- Ava Tsapatsaris, Eastchester High School: "Project ScanVan: Mobile Mammography Services to Decrease Socioeconomic Barriers and Racial Disparities Among Medically Underserved Women in New York City;"
- Nishi Uppuluri, Edgemont High School: "Developing the Writing Skills of Elementary Schoolers Using Computational Linguistics Techniques;"
- Keelan Vaswani, Harrison High School: "Patterns in Cognitive Distortions Among High School Students: An Analysis of How Social and Achievement Situations Influence Types of Thinking;"
- Oliver Walsh Fuchs, Hastings High School: "Examining the Associations Between Historical Redlining Maps and Asthma Emergency Department Visits Across New York City
Putnam County
- Ryan Doherty, Carmel High School: "The Effects of Race and Other Social Determinants of Health on HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Use: A County-Level Analysis Using the PrEP-to-Need Ratio
A complete list of winners can be found here.
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