Regeneron Science Talent Search 2021 Finalists

Society for Science  and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. congratulate the 40 finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2021, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. The 2021 finalists were selected from 1,760 highly qualified entrants based on their projects’ scientific rigor and their potential to become world-changing scientists and leaders. Each finalist is awarded at least $25,000, and the top 10 awards range from $40,000 to $250,000

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Regeneron Science Talent Search 2021 Finalists

Laalitya Acharya

School: William Mason High School, Mason, OH

Project Title: Nereid: Using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) Approach, an AI Technique, to Rapidly and Accurately Detect Microbial Contamination that May Cause Water-Borne Diseases

Akhilesh Balasingam

School: Archbishop Mitty High School, San Jose, CA

Project Title: A Kinetic Monte Carlo Simulator for Multi-Terminal RRAM Devices with Applications to Brain-Inspired Computing

Sarah Chen

School: Phillips Academy, Andover, MA
Project Title: In Silico Prediction of Retained Intron-Derived Neoantigens in Leukemia

Yunseo Choi

School: Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH
Project Title: On Two-Sided Matching in Infinite Markets

Sam Christian

School: Liberal Arts and Science Academy, Austin, TX
Project Title: A Possible Alignment Between Orbits of Visual Binary Stars and Their Planetary Systems

Tali Finger

School: Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, Miami, FL
Project Title: A Genomic-Based Investigation of Repetitive Behaviors Across Four Neurodevelopmental Disorders Using a Machine Learning Approach

Jessie Gan

School: San Diego Jewish Academy, San Diego, CA
Project Title: Predicting Metastasis with a Novel Biophysical Cell-Adhesion Force Technique

Noah Getz

School: Bronx High School of Science, Bronx, NY
Project Title: A Novel High Throughput Method for Prescreening Drugs: Using Machine Learning to Predict Phenothiazines That Reduce TNF-ALPHA Secretion with Applications for Alzheimer’s Disease and COVID-19 Treatment

Gopal Goel

School: Krishna Homeschool, Portland, OR
Project Title: Discrete Derivative Asymptotics of the β-Hermite Eigenvalues

Hannah Goldenberg

School: Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT
Project Title: Linking Continued Exposure to E-Cigarette Vapor Constituents with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Michael Gomez

School: Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, NJ
Project Title: Underscoring the “Hypo-Hyper” Duality of Celecoxib in Melanocyte Pigmentation

Amy Guan

School: Texas Academy of Mathematics and Sciences, Denton, TX
Project Title: Designing a Catalyst for Methane Activation Through Density Functional Theory Optimizations

Wenjun Hou

School: Jesuit High School, Portland, OR
Project Title: Quantum-Based algorithm and circuit design for Bounded Knapsack Optimization Problem

Jared Ilan

School: Byram Hills High School, Armonk, NY
Project Title: Modulus of Elasticity of the Ideal Decellularized Plant Material Scaffold for the Production of Cultured Meat

Vedanth Iyer

School: Sunset High School, Portland, OR
Project Title: First-Principles Characterization of a Novel Chromium Doped Vanadyl-Oxide Based Cathode for Higher Energy and Efficiency Lithium-Ion Batteries

Eshani Jha

School: Lynbrook High School, San Jose, CA
Project Title: Thiol Functionalized and Manganese Dioxide Doped Biochar for the Removal of Toxic Organic and Inorganic Contaminants from Water

Marvin Li

School: James M. Bennett High School, Salisbury, MD
Project Title: Machine Learning Classifiers to Predict Outbreaks of Toxic Karenia brevis Blooms on the West Florida Shelf

James Licato

School: Washington-Liberty High School, Arlington, VA
Project Title: Development of a Zeolite Composite Material for the Simultaneous Removal of Pharmaceuticals, Personal Care Products (PPCPs), and Perfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) in Water Treatment

Andrei Mandelshtam

School: University High School, Irvine, CA
Project Title: The Structure of the Positive Monoid of Integer-Valued Polynomials Evaluated at α in Q

Rebecca Monge

School: Carmel High School, Carmel, NY
Project Title: Polar Amplification in CMIP6 Models: Projections, Mechanisms, and Regional Patterns

Michael Pavelchek

School: Ossining High School, Ossining, NY
Project Title: Swap70 and Myc Promote Sequential Switching to High Affinity IgE in Allergic Asthma

Timothy Qian

School: Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, MD
Project Title: Optimal Measurement of Field Properties with Quantum Sensor Networks

Anushka Sanyal

School: Homestead High School, Cupertino, CA
Project Title: Intronic RNA Lariats Protect Against Neurodegenerative Disease Related Protein Aggregation

Alay Shah

School: Plano West Senior High School, Plano, TX
Project Title: Identifying Eye-Movement Patterns in Neurological Disorders to Assess Cognitive and Motor Function

Justin Shen

School: Jericho Senior High School, Jericho, NY
Project Title: L-Theanine: Neuroprotective Against Trichloroethylene-Induced Parkinson’s Disease Hallmarks

Fareed Sheriff

School: Mills E. Godwin High School, Richmond, VA
Project Title: ELMOPP: An Application of Graph Theory and Machine Learning to Traffic Light Coordination

Eleanor Sigrest

School: Forest Park High School, Woodbridge, VA
Project Title: “Can You Hear the Empty Spaces?” – Improving Spacecraft Efficiency and Capability Through a Novel Microgravity Fluid and Slosh Management Technique

Edgar Sosa

School: Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT
Project Title: Metal Oxide Nanoparticle Suppression of Coffee Rust Using an Alternaria, Stomata-Sporulating Model Fungus

Claire Tang

School: Lynbrook High School, San Jose, CA
Project Title: Automated Diagnostic Imaging for COVID-19: from the Unknown Detection to Clinical Prediction

Dasia Taylor

School: West High School, Iowa City, IA
Project Title: A Novel Suture Additive: Use of Beet Extract to Assess for Surgical Wound Infection

Katherine Tung

School: Menlo School, Atherton, CA
Project Title: The Sperner Property for 132-Avoiding Intervals in the Weak Order

Parisa Vaziri

School: Plano East Senior High School, Plano, TX
Project Title: The Neuro-Protective Role of FOXO in a PINK1 Loss-of-Function Based Model of Neurodegeneration in Drosophila melanogaster

Vetri Vel

School: Bangor High School, Bangor, ME
Project Title: Real-Time Fall Detection System for the Elderly Using Thermal Imaging and Deep Learning

Jeffrey Wang

School: The Bishop’s School, San Diego, CA
Project Title: A Systematic Method to Identify Significant Changes in 3D Genome Compartmentalization Across Multiple Cell Lines

Justin Xu

School: Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington, DE
Project Title: Novel Nanoscale Analysis of the Electronic Structure Basis of Strength and Toughness in Fluoropolymers

Vivian Yee

School: International Academy, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Project Title: A Novel Epidemiological Approach to Exploring the Implications of Social Determinants of Health on COVID-19 Spread: A Call to Action for Health Equity

Lucy Zha

School: The Wheatley School, Old Westbury, NY
Project Title: Investigating the Therapeutic Potential of Curcumin and Capsaicin: A Comparative Study on Neuroblastoma and Hypothalamic Cells

Jason Zhang

School: The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, Bowling Green, KY
Project Title: The Photocatalytic Single-Electron Oxidative Cyclopropanation of Ene-Ynamides with 2, 6-Lutidine N-Oxide: Synthesis of Bicyclic Amides

Jessica Zhang

School: Proof School, San Francisco, CA
Project Title: Classification of Tight Contact Structures on a Solid Torus

Amy Zhou

School: William P. Clements High School, Sugar Land, TX
Project Title: Entropy of Amorphous Systems in Their Ground States