Society for Science Jan. 6 announced the top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2022, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors, who included a multitude of Indian American students as well as South Asian Americans. The 300 scholars and their schools will be awarded $2,000 each, according to a press release.
The Regeneron Science Talent Search scholars were selected from 1,804 applications received from 603 high schools across 46 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and eight other countries. Scholars were chosen based on their exceptional research skills, commitment to academics, innovative thinking and promise as scientists as demonstrated through the submission of their original, independent research projects, essays and recommendation. The 300 scholars hail from 185 American and international high schools in 37 states, China, Switzerland, and Singapore, including three homeschools.
The Regeneron Science Talent Search provides students with a national stage to present original research and celebrates the hard work and novel discoveries of young scientists who are bringing a fresh perspective to significant global challenges. This year, research projects cover topics from tracking countries’ progress on Sustainable Development Goals to the impact of states’ individual COVID-19 responses, and improving the tools used to diagnose Alzheimer’s to analyzing the effects of virtual learning on education.
“Amid an unprecedented and ongoing global health crisis, we are incredibly inspired to see such an extraordinary group of young leaders who are using the power of STEM to solve the world’s most intractable challenges,” said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of Society for Science, publisher of Science News and 1985 Science Talent Search alum. “The ingenuity and creativity that each one of these scholars possesses has shown just how much intellectual curiosity and passion can thrive, even in difficult times.”
On Jan. 20, 40 of the 300 scholars will be named Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists. The finalists will then compete for more than $1.8 million in awards during a week-long competition taking place March 10-16.
The Regeneron Science Talent Search, a program of Society for Science since 1942, is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors, noted the release.
In 2017, Regeneron became only the third sponsor of the Science Talent Search as a way to help reward and celebrate the best and brightest young minds and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM as a way to positively impact the world. 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.
Program alumni include recipients of the world’s most coveted science and math honors, including 13 Nobel Prizes, 11 National Medals of Science, six Breakthrough Prizes, 22 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships and two Fields Medals.
Society for Science is dedicated to the achievement of young scientists in independent research and to public engagement in science. Established in 1921, the Society is a nonprofit whose vision is to promote the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement.
Following are some of the Indian American and South Asian Americans named among the 300 Regeneron scholars:
Ayush Agrawal
Canyon Crest Academy, CA
Project Title: Detection of Arsenic Contamination Using Satellite Imagery and Machine Learning
Naisha Agarwal
Saratoga High School, CA
Project Title: Recommendation Algorithms that Increase Equitable Access to Influencers (Fairness) in a Network
Armaan Ahmed
Scarsdale High School, NY
Project Title: Design of a SHERLOCK-Based Low Resource Screening Assay for HIV-1 Drug Resistance
Neha Ayyalapu
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School, NJ
Project Title: A Machine Learns to Predict the Stability of Highly Diverse Multi-Planetary Systems
Anjana Balachandar
Buchholz High School, FL
Project Title: Extending the Boundaries of 3D Printing of Soft Matter
Sohini Banerjee
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, VA
Project Title: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Biomarker Identification Using Integrative Network Fusion and Deep Learning With Bayesian Hyperparameter Optimization
Harshal Bharatia
Plano Senior High School, TX
Project Title: Autonomous Learning With Automatically Created Models and a Novel Model Selection
Aurrel Bhatia
Bethpage High School, NY
Project Title: Utilizing a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) Machine Learning Algorithm to Create Soil Moisture Prediction Models and Improve Water Productivity in Southern California
Disha Bhattacharya
Carnegie Vanguard High School, TX
Project Title: Investigating Short-Term Effects of Critically High Environmental Metal Concentrations on Usnic Acid Production in Cladonia rangiferina Lichens
Pratiksha Bhattacharyya
Maine West High School, IL
Project Title: Molecular Mechanisms of Momordin in the Regulation of Glucose Homeostasis
Atreyus Bhavsar
Blake School Northrop Campus, MN
Project Title: The Spread of Macroscopic Droplets from a Simulated Cough With and Without the Use of Masks or Barriers
Project Title: Molecular Mechanisms of Momordin in the Regulation of Glucose Homeostasis
Varun Chandrashekhar
duPont Manual Magnet High School, KY
Project Title: SpeakUp: A Machine Learning-Based Speech Aid to Enable Real-Time Silent Communication for the Paralyzed by Translating Neuromuscular EMG Signals to Speech
Caitlin Chheda
Herricks High School, NY
Project Title: The Impact of Sex and MDMA on Social Anxiety Evaluated by Subjective Responses
Neil Chowdhury
Phillips Exeter Academy, NH
Project Title: Modeling the Effect of Histone Methylation on Chromosomal Organization in Colon Cancer Cells
Srihitha Dasari
Denmark High School, GA
Project Title: Improving Multiclass Classification of Alzheimer’s Disease Using Cortical Volumetry and Inter-Cortical Ratios as Combined Markers
Riju Dey
Shorewood High School, WI
Project Title: Discovery of Novel Eukaryotic-Like Dual Phosphatase Kinase Regulating Secretion of the Toxin Pyocyanin in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Harrish Ganesh
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, VA
Project Title: The Analysis of the Viral Transmission and Structural Interactions Between the HIV-1 Envelope Glycoprotein and the Lymphocyte Receptor Integrin α4β7
Rithvik Ganesh
Plano West Senior High School, TX
Project Title: Tackling Tau: Identification of a Novel Inhibitor for the MSUT-2 Protein Using Quantum Machine Learning for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases
Shyam Ganesh Babu
Spring Valley High School, SC
Project Title: Exploring How to Merge an Aspiration Thrombectomy Device and a Rotational Atherectomy Device for Efficacious Individual or Joint Removal of Thrombi and Plaque through In-Vitro Testing
Dimple Amitha Garuadapuri
Eleanor Roosevelt High School, CA
Project Title: Developing a Pre-Risk Assessment Incorporating Machine-Learning and Biomarkers to Diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease
Shaurnav Ghosh
Pine Crest School, FL
Project Title: Using Convolutional Encoder Networks to Determine the Optimal Magnetic Resonance Image for the Automatic Segmentation of Multiple Sclerosis
Arko Ghosh
C. Leon King High School, FL
Project Title: A Novel Approach to Citrus Disease Management: Leveraging Computer Vision, Machine Learning and Convolutional Neural Networks
Prabuddha Ghosh Dastidar
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, NC
Project Title: Pre-mRNA Splicing Inhibition as a Potential Pancreatic Cancer Treatment: An Innovative Approach by Identifying Vulnerabilities in Pancreatic Cancer Cells Using Biflavonoid Isoginkgetin and Pladienolide B
Rohan Ghotra
Syosset High School, NY
Project Title: Uncovering Motif Interactions from Convolutional Attention Networks for Regulatory Genomics
Ram Goel
Krishna Homeschool, OR
Project Title: Products of Reflections in Smooth Bruhat Intervals
Siya Goel
West Lafayette Junior-Senior High School, IN
Project Title: PanCan Diagnosed (A miRNA Approach): Using Feature Selection, Ensemble Algorithms, and Interpretability for the Early Diagnosis and Personalized Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer
Aanya Goel
Herricks High School, NY
Project Title: Inflammatory Markers Associated With Early Life Adversity in the Postmortem Human Brain
Riya Gupta
Saratoga High School, CA
Project Title: Formulating a Gene Signature for the Diagnosis of Autoimmune and Infectious Diseases
Arjan Kahlon
Charter School of Wilmington, DE
Project Title: Remote Gait Analysis as a Proxy for Traditional Gait Laboratories: Utilizing Smartphones as a Wearable Patient-Implemented Solution for Assessment of Gait Across Differing Terrains
Shreyas Kar
duPont Manual Magnet High School, KY
Project Title: Impact of Electronic Health Record Discontinuity in Prediction Modelling Algorithms
Mithra Karamchedu
Jesuit High School, OR
Project Title: Cryosphere Melting Risk: Predictive Model of Glacial and Permafrost Melting Using Fractal Analysis of Remote Sensed Images and Correlations to Timeseries Geoglacial and Permafrost Data
Jui Khankari
Hinsdale Central High School, IL
Project Title: Automated Detection of Arterial Landmarks and Vascular Occlusions in Acute Stroke Patients on Digital Subtraction Angiography Using Deep Learning
Vivek Kogilathota
Rick Reedy High School, TX
Project Title: iPonder: A Multimodal Approach to Teen Mental Health Diagnosis and Therapy via Deep Transfer Learning
Nikitha Kota
Carnegie Vanguard High School, TX
Project Title: Tense of Psychological Distancing Self Talk and Test Performance Among GT High School Students
Kaivalya Kulkarni
Okemos High School, MI
Project Title: On the 3-Rank of Class Groups of Quadratic Fields
Rishi Kumar
Bergen County Academies, NJ
Project Title: Co-Culturing S. cerevisiae and K. marxianus to Bioremediate Copper from Water
Varun Madan
Lake Highland Preparatory School, FL
Project Title: Developing a Novel Multiple Linear Regression Model to Optimize Honey Bee Gut Immunity Using a Lactic Acid Bacteria Probiotic Mixture
Atulya Mandyam
Westview School, CA
Project Title: Novel Biomarker for Identification of Bipolar Disorder Treatment Response
Rohit Mantena
Bergen County Academies, NJ
Project Title: The Critical Role of Glutamine Transporter ASCT2 on Parkinson’s Disease Progression
Vaibhav Mishra
West Laurens High School, GA
Project Title: NeuroXNet: Creating a Novel Deep Learning Architecture that Diagnoses Neurological Disorders, Finds New Blood Biomarkers, and Assesses Surgical, Drugs, and Radiation Treatment Plans Using Medical Imaging and Genomic Data
Ashini Modi
Caddo Parish Magnet High School, LA
Project Title: An Evolutionary Model for Stellar Wind-Induced Atmospheric Escape of Small Exoplanets
Dheepthi Mohanraj
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, NC
Project Title: AutoFlow: A Novel Method for Assessing Minimal Residual Disease in Breast Cancer Patients by Identifying Bone Marrow Disseminated Tumor Cells Using Flow Cytometry Data
Varsha Naga
Winter Springs High School, FL
Project Title: Prevention of Healthcare-Associated Infections Using Antibacterial Boron Carbonitride Nanoparticle Coating on Medical Devices
Yash Narayan
The Nueva School, CA
Project Title: DeepWaste: Applying Deep Learning on a Mobile Device for Accurate, Low Cost, and Ubiquitous Waste Classification
Suraj Oruganti
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School, NJ
Project Title: Early/Late Chemotherapy: Mathematically Modeling Prostate-Specific Antigen Parameters and Investigating Their Effects on Intermittent Androgen Deprivation
Dhruv Pai
Montgomery Blair High School, MD
Project Title: Representation and Deep Learning on Brain Surface Data for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Khushi Parikh
Gilbert Community School, IA
Project Title: A Deep Convolutional Neural Network to Detect Antibiotic Resistance Polymorphisms in S. Pneumoniae DNA
Rishab Parthasarathy
The Harker School, CA
Project Title: A Novel Combination of Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Pathway Analysis for Predicting Oncogenic Mutation Progression and Recommending Targeted Therapies
Nithin Parthasarathy
Northwood High School, CA
Project Title: “Minimally Calibrated High Performance Communication Interfaces for the Neurologically Impaired”: New Directions Using Language Models Along With Gaming Extensions to Assist ADHD Subjects
Shivani PatelManhasset High School, NY
Project Title: Neuronal Death in Alzheimer’s Disease is Triggered by Extracellular CIRP through Calpain
Roshni Patel
Herricks High School, NY
Project Title: Connectivity Between the Medial Dorsal Nucleus of the Thalamus and the Cingulo-Opercular Network is Related to Psychosis Symptom Severity in a Youth Community Sample
Sidhya Peddinti
Plano East Senior High School, TX
Project Title: Parkinsensor: Computer Vision and Ensemble Machine Learning-Based Incipient Diagnosis for Parkinson’s Disease Using Neuromuscular Biomarkers
Kannammai Pichappan
Bergen County Academies, NJ
Project Title: A Novel, Non-Invasive, Schwann Cell Supporting Approach to Peripheral Nervous System Degenerative Disease
Anika Puri
Horace Greeley High School, NY
Project Title: ElSa: A Novel Real-Time Wildlife Poacher Detection Solution Leveraging Machine Learning-Driven Spatio-temporal Analysis of Nighttime UAV Thermal Infrared Videos
Pravalika Putalapattu
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, VA
Project Title: DORC: Dynamic Operating Room Companion for Gallbladder Removal Surgical Workflow Verification
Sasvath Ramachandran
The Harker School, CA
Project Title: Genomic Reconstruction and Phylogenetic Analyses of Cycloclasticus, a Dominant Microbe at the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Navya Ramakrishnan
Plano Senior High School, TX
Project Title: An Intelligent System for the Prediction of Epileptic Seizures Using Machine Learning Algorithms
Janice Rateshwar
Jericho Senior High School, NY
Project Title: Novel Small Molecule 9-chloro-8-(hexyloxy)-2H-chromeno[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4(3H)-dione (IT-848)* Treatment of Hematological Malignancies: IT-848 Directly Inhibits NF-KAPPAB Transcription Factors and Bolsters Combination Cancer Therapy
Neil Rathi
Palo Alto High School, CA
Project Title: Cross-Linguistic Universals of Morphological Fusion: An Information-Theoretic Approach
Hrishika Roychoudhury
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, NC
Project Title: Development of an Anticancer Agent by Green Synthesis of Biogenic Silver Nanoparticles Using Agri-Food Byproducts as a Novel Reducing Agent
Varsha Saravanan
Hauppauge High School, NY
Project Title: Baseline Framework for Assessing Community Resilience Using a Balanced Index Approach and Spatial Autocorrelation in the Mill River Watershed, Nassau County, New York
Harshita Sehgal
Roslyn High School, NY
Project Title: Understanding the Evolutionary Development of Radio-Resistance in the Brassicae Family
Arnav Shah
Bronx High School of Science, NY
Project Title: A Novel Reinforcement Learning-Assisted Self-Correcting Hybrid Quantum-Classical Algorithm to Simulate Molecular Systems and Compute Ground State Energies
Cameron Sharma
Mills E. Godwin High School, VA
Project Title: FluVaxAI: A Novel AI Inspired Regional Flu Vaccine Formulation
Maya Sharma
Eastside Preparatory School, WA
Project Title: Computational Analysis of Specific Indicators to Manage Crop Yield and Profits Under Extreme Heat and Climate Change Conditions
Ankit Singhal
International School Basel, Switzerland
Project Title: Political Conflict Prediction through Deep Learning and Time Series Classification in South Sudan and Yemen
Savar Sinha
Hamilton High School, AZ
Project Title: The Persistence of Homology: Unity and Diversity in Eukaryotic ATP Synthases
Arnab Sircar
Unionville High School, PA
Project Title: Characterization of Emotional Contagion in Collaborative Decision Support Systems
Ashwin Sivakumar
Flintridge Preparatory School, CA
Project Title: Late Pleistocene Fossils Recontextualize the Ecology of Introduced Turkeys in California
Vivek Sreejithkumar
Florida Atlantic University High School, FL
Project Title: The Evolution of the Identifiable Analysis of the COVID-19 Virus
Siddharth Tiwari
Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, IL
Project Title: On the Relationship Between Pain Variability and Relief in Randomized Clinical Trials
Nishi Uppuluri
Edgemont High School, NY
Project Title: Developing the Writing Skills of Elementary Schoolers Using Computational Linguistics Techniques
Annika Vaidyanathan
Winter Springs High School, FL
Project Title: Dynamic Contact Angle Measurements of Superhydrophobicity in Dip-Coated Face Masks to Minimize Exposure to COVID-19 Sized Nanoparticles
Pratik Vangal
Sunset High School, OR
Project Title: A Biologically-Inspired, Biomarker-Driven, Rapid Early Warning System for Epileptic Onset Prediction and Seizure Detection Using Machine Learning
Keelan Vaswani
Harrison High School, NY
Project Title: Patterns in Cognitive Distortions Among High School Students: An Analysis of How Social and Achievement Situations Influence Types of Thinking.
