March 15, 2017
By Mark Terry, BioSpace.com Breaking News Staff
The winners of the Regeneron Science Talent Search were announced yesterday. A program of the Society for Science & the Public since 1942, dubbed the “Junior Nobel Prize,” the contest screens approximately 1,700 student entrants, who submit original research in various areas of study.
The winner of this year’s top award of $250,000 was Indrani Das, 17, of Oradell, NJ. She received the award for her study of a “possible approach to treating the death of neurons due to brain injury or neurogenerative disease.”
Astrogliosis is a process that happens when astrocyte cells react to injury. They grow, divide and decrease their uptake of glutamate, which when it accumulates, is toxic to neurons. Das developed a laboratory model that showed exosomes isolated from astrocytes that were transfected with microRNA-124a improved astrocyte uptake of glutamate and increased neuron survival.
In addition to her scientific efforts, Das mentors young researchers, tutors students in math, and plays the piccolo trumpet in a jazz quartet.
Second Place
Aaron Yeiser, 18, of Schwenksville, Penn., received second place and $175,000. He developed a new mathematical method “for solving partial differential equations on complicated geometries. Partial differential equations are ubiquitous in science and engineering and are currently solved using computers,” the competition said in a statement. He also applied his method to computational fluid dynamics. Yeiser also competes in cross country and track and in the summer teaches sailing in Maine.
Third Place
Arjun Ramani, 18, of West Lafayette, Indiana, received third place and $150,000. Ramani’s work blended graph theory with computer programming. The competition states, “He developed an algorithm that greatly accelerated the process by reducing the time required to generate these graphs. Arjun is an award-winning debater and accomplished tennis player and coach, and also volunteers at a local science museum.”
“Now more than ever, we need our nation’s best and brightest young minds to pursue their interest in science and use their talents to solve our world’s most intractable problems,” Maya Ajmera, president and chief executive officer of the Society for Science & the Public and Publisher of Science News, said in a statement. “I congratulate our finalists, who are all poised to become our future scientific leaders.”
“Congratulations to the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2017 top winners,” said George Yancopoulos, president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron, in a statement. “My experience as a Science Talent Search winner led me to embark on a career in science, and I hope it will inspire these exceptional young scientists to become the next generation of innovators that will improve the world and solve some of our most pressing challenges as a society.”
Time magazine noted that in a period in the U.S. where the federal government appears to be pushing against immigration, that 33 of the 40 finalists of the competition were the children of immigrants. “Specifically,” Time noted, “30 out of the 40 finalists had parents who worked in America on H-1B visas, the option that is no longer available for expedited processing due to a recent policy change from the Trump administration.”
The Foundation stated, “These outstanding children of immigrants would never have been in America if their parents had not been allowed into the U.S.”
The science conducted by these teenagers is truly remarkable—as they are themselves. They are the likely future heads of industry, developers of new technology, and creators of cures for diseases. The Society notes that in its history, alumni from the Talent Search, previously known as the Intel Science Talent Search, have included 11 National Medals of Science, four Breakthrough Prizes, 18 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships, two Fields Medals and 12 Nobel Prizes.
Intel sponsored the Science Talent Search from 1998-2016. From 1942-1997 it was sponsored by Westinghouse. Regeneron took over this year, and as part of its 10-year commitment, increased the awards with a $100 million commitment. This year’s finalists received over $1.8 million in awards, which also distributed $3.1 million in awards to finalists, scholars and their schools.
