Grace Sun, 16, receives
$75,000 Top Award for a new kind of
organic electrochemical transistor at the world's largest
pre-college science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)
competition.
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. and WASHINGTON, May 17, 2024 /CNW/ -- Regeneron
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and Society for Science (the
Society) announced that Grace Sun,
16, of Lexington, Kentucky, won
the $75,000 top award, the George D.
Yancopoulos Innovator Award, named in honor of the pioneering drug
researcher and Regeneron co-Founder, Board co-Chair, President and
Chief Scientific Officer, in the 2024 Regeneron International
Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF), the world's largest
pre-college science and engineering competition. Other top prizes
went to projects in second-order cone programming, microplastics
filtration and multi-sensory therapy for dementia.
The top winners were honored during two award ceremonies: the
Special Awards on May 16 and the
Grand Awards Ceremony on the morning of May
17. In total, over $9 million
USD was awarded to the finalists based on their projects'
creativity, innovation and depth of scientific inquiry. The
competition featured nearly 2,000 young scientists representing 49
U.S. states and nearly 70 countries, regions and territories across
the world.
Grace Sun, 16, of Lexington, Kentucky, won first place and
received the $75,000 George D.
Yancopoulos Innovator Award for her research on building a better
organic electrochemical transistor that she hopes will be used to
develop new electronic devices that could help detect and treat
serious illnesses like diabetes, epilepsy and organ failure. To
overcome the problems that have previously prevented such devices
from working effectively inside the body, Grace developed a new way
of chemically treating their organic components, which greatly
improved their laboratory performance.
Michelle Wei, 17, of San Jose, California, received one of two
Regeneron Young Scientist Awards of $50,000 for her research to improve the speed and
efficiency of a type of software that is useful in many fields such
as machine learning, transportation and financial systems.
Michelle's new approach involved determining a quick approximate
solution to the second-order cone programming problem, then
splitting the initial cone into smaller cones, which enabled her
new algorithm to greatly outperform previous approaches.
Krish Pai, 17, of Del Mar, California, received the second
Regeneron Young Scientist Award of $50,000 for his machine-learning research to
identify microbial genetic sequences that can be modified to
biodegrade plastic. His new software, called Microby, scans
databases of microorganisms and determines which ones can be
changed genetically to biodegrade plastics. In tests, he identified
two microorganisms that can be genetically modified to degrade
plastic at a cost he believes would be ten times less than
traditional recycling.
"Congratulations to the Regeneron International Science
and Engineering Fair 2024 winners," said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO, Society for
Science and Executive Publisher, Science News. "I'm truly inspired
by the ingenuity and determination shown by these remarkable
students. Coming from around the world with diverse backgrounds and
academic disciplines, these students have shown that it is possible
to come together in unity to tackle some of the toughest challenges
facing our world today, and I could not be prouder."
Regeneron ISEF provides a global stage for the world's best and
brightest young scientists and engineers. Through this competition,
Regeneron and the Society are fostering the next generation of STEM
leaders who are pioneering solutions to improve our world. Since
2020, Regeneron has provided STEM experiences to approximately 2.4
million students, on track to meet its goal of 2.5 million by
2025.
"The talent, intelligence and potential of this year's Regeneron
ISEF finalists is truly inspiring, and I congratulate each on their
remarkable achievements," said George D.
Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., co-Founder, Board co-Chair,
President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron. "Science
competitions like ISEF were pivotal in shaping my own career and
fueling my passion to fight back against disease. I look forward to
seeing these students continue to push the boundaries of science
and technology to create positive and sustainable change for all
humanity."
Other top honors from the competition include:
Justin Huang and Victoria Ou, both 17, of Woodlands, Texas, received the Gordon E. Moore Award for Positive Outcomes for
Future Generations of $50,000 for
their new prototype filtration system that uses ultrasonic waves to
remove microscopic plastic particles from water. In lab tests, the
acoustic force from the high-frequency sound waves removed between
84% and 94% of the suspended microplastic particles in a single
pass. The students are now working to scale up and fine-tune their
experimental system.
Ingrid Wai Hin Chan, 17, of
Hong Kong, China received the
Craig R. Barrett Award for
Innovation of $10,000 for her
research on using a multi-sensory therapy for dementia patients.
Her mixed therapy app would allow patients to practice physical and
cognitive skills through a personalized, immersive environment
using virtual reality headsets. Ingrid conducted an eight-week
study with six people living with dementia and found that the
cognitive function of patients who used her prototype improved in
several areas. She believes her app could serve as a viable option
for dementia patients with limited access to in-person professional
therapy.
Tanishka Balaji Aglave, 15, of Valrico, Florida, received the H. Robert
Horvitz Prize for Fundamental Research of $10,000 for her investigation into a natural
alternative treatment against citrus greening, a disease that
threatens citrus farming in many parts of the world and is
currently only treated with antibiotics. Tanishka injected the
trunks of infected trees with an extract from the curry leaf tree,
and found through tests that this potential method could
effectively and sustainably manage citrus greening disease.
Maddux Alexander Springer, 18, of
Honolulu, Hawaii, received the
Peggy Scripps Award for Science
Communication of $10,000 for his
research into fibropapillomatosis (FP), a disease that is the
primary cause of death in green sea turtles. Some turtles he
studied in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii,
were stricken with a disease that causes internal and external
tumors that inhibit their everyday lives. After analyzing the
turtles' diet of green algae, Maddux concluded that this disease,
wastewater, invasive algae and the amino acid arginine all pose a
grave risk to these endangered sea creatures.
Ria Kamat, 17, of Hackensack, New Jersey; Anna Oliva, 17, of Houston, TX; and Shuhan Luo, 18, of Worcester, MA, received the Dudley R.
Herschbach SIYSS Award, which provides finalists an all-expense
paid trip to attend the Stockholm International Youth Science
Seminar during Nobel Week in Stockholm,
Sweden.
Jack Shannon, 18, of Clane,
Kildare, Ireland, and Nikhil Vemuri, 17, of Cary, North Carolina, received the EU Contest
for Young Scientists Award. Their projects will represent Regeneron
ISEF at the EU Contest for Young Scientists to be held this
September in Katowice, Poland.
For more information about the top winners and access to visual
assets visit:
https://www.societyforscience.org/isef-2024-media-kit.
The full list of Special Award ISEF 2024 Finalists can be found
at
https://www.societyforscience.org/press-release/regeneron-isef-2024-special-awards-winners.
In addition to the Top Award winners, more than 450 finalists
received awards and prizes for their innovative research, including
"First Award" winners, who each received a $5,000 prize.
The following lists the First Award winners for each of the 22
categories, from which the Top Awards were chosen:
Animal Sciences, sponsored by Society for
Science
Maddux Alexander
Springer, Honolulu,
Hawaii
Behavioral and Social Sciences, sponsored by Society for
Science
Andrew Y. Liang,
San Jose, California
Biochemistry, sponsored by Regeneron
Amy Hong Xiao, Garden
City, New York
Biomedical and Health Sciences, sponsored by
Regeneron
Ria Kamat,
Hackensack, New Jersey;
Kevin Xuan Lei, Shanghai, China
Biomedical Engineering, sponsored by Alfred E. Mann
Charities
Ayush Garg,
Dublin, California; Divij Motwani,
Palo Alto, California;
Akash Ashish Pai, Portland, Oregon
Cellular and Molecular Biology, sponsored by
Regeneron
Lara and Maya Sarah
Hammoud, Beverly Hills,
Michigan
Chemistry, sponsored by Society for
Science
Akilan Sankaran,
Albuquerque, New Mexico;
Arjun Suresh Malpani and Siddharth
Daniel D'costa, Portland,
Oregon
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, sponsored by
Regeneron
Kun-Hyung Roh,
Bronx, New York
Earth and Environmental Sciences, sponsored by
Google.org
Nikhil Vemuri,
Durham, North Carolina;
Justin Yizhou Huang and Victoria Ou, The
Woodlands, Texas
Embedded Systems, sponsored by HP
Chloe Rae and Sophie
Rose Filion, Welland, Ontario,
Canada
Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design, sponsored by
Siemens Energy
Alia Wahban, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics, sponsored by
Howmet Aerospace Foundation
Chiyo
Nakatsuji, Bunkyoku, Tokyo,
Japan; Kevin Shen,
Olympia, Washington
Environmental Engineering, sponsored by
Jacobs
Krish Pai,
San Diego, California;
Jack Shannon, Clane, Kildare,
Ireland
Materials Science, sponsored by Howmet Aerospace
Foundation
Grace Sun,
Lexington, Kentucky
Mathematics, sponsored by Akamai
Foundation
Anna Oliva,
Houston, Texas
Microbiology, sponsored by Schattner
Foundation
Matthew Chang,
Irvine, California
Physics and Astronomy, sponsored by Richard F. Caris
Charitable Trust II
Harini
Thiagarajan and Vishal Ranganath
Yalla, Bothell, Washington;
Shuhan Luo, Worcester, Massachusetts
Plant Sciences, sponsored by Society for
Science
Pauline Estrada,
Fresno, California; Tanishka
Balaji Aglave, Dover, Florida
Robotics and Intelligent Machines, sponsored by
Regeneron
Michal Lajciak, Dubnica nad Vahom, Trenciansky
kraj, Slovakia; Anthony Efthimiadis, Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Systems Software, sponsored by Microsoft
Michelle Wei, San
Jose, California
Technology Enhances the Arts, sponsored by Society for
Science
Anant Khandelwal,
Sritan Motati and Siddhant Sood,
Alexandria, Virginia
Translational Medical Science, sponsored by
Regeneron
Zheng-Chi Lee,
West Lafayette, Indiana;
Ingrid Wai Hin Chan, Hong Kong, China
The full list of all award-winning ISEF 2024 finalists is
available here:
https://www.societyforscience.org/press-release/regeneron-isef-2024-full-awards.
View all the finalists' research here:
https://projectboard.world/isef.
About the Regeneron International Science and Engineering
Fair
The Regeneron International Science and Engineering
Fair (Regeneron ISEF), a program of Society for Science for over 70
years, is the world's largest global science competition for high
school students. Through a global network of local, regional and
national science fairs, millions of students are encouraged to
explore their passion for scientific inquiry. Each spring, a group
of these students is selected as finalists and offered the
opportunity to compete for approximately U.S. $9 million in awards and scholarships.
In 2019, Regeneron became the title sponsor of ISEF to help
reward and celebrate the best and brightest young minds globally
and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM to positively impact
the world. Regeneron ISEF is supported by a community of additional
sponsors, including Akamai Foundation, Alfred E. Mann Charities,
Aramco, Caltech, Google.org, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation,
Howmet Aerospace Foundation, HP, , Jacobs, King Abdulaziz & his Companions Foundation
for Giftedness and Creativity, Microsoft, National Geographic
Society, Richard F. Caris Charitable Trust II, Rise, an initiative
of Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust, Schattner Foundation,
Siemens Energy, Annenburg Foundation, Ballmer Group, Broadcom
Foundation, Cesco Linguistic Services, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation,
Edison International, Insaco, Oracle Academy, The Eli and Edythe
Broad Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation and US Army ROTC.
Many are entrepreneurs across a wide range of industries. Learn
more at https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/.
About Society for Science
Society for Science is a
champion for science, dedicated to promoting the understanding and
appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human
advancement. Established in 1921, Society for Science is best known
for its award-winning journalism through Science News and Science
News Explores, its world-class science research competitions for
students, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the
Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and the Thermo
Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, and its outreach and
equity programming that seeks to ensure that all students have an
opportunity to pursue a career in STEM. A 501(c)(3) membership
organization, Society for Science is committed to inform, educate
and inspire. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org and follow us
on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (Society4Science).
About Regeneron
Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a
leading biotechnology company that invents, develops and
commercializes life-transforming medicines for people with serious
diseases. Founded and led by physician-scientists, our unique
ability to repeatedly and consistently translate
science into medicine has led to numerous approved treatments
and product candidates in development, most of which were homegrown
in our laboratories. Our medicines and pipeline are designed to
help patients with eye diseases, allergic and inflammatory
diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases,
neurological diseases, hematologic conditions,
infectious diseases and rare diseases.
Regeneron believes that operating as a good corporate citizen is
crucial to delivering on our mission. We approach corporate
responsibility with three goals in mind: to improve the lives of
people with serious diseases, to foster a culture of integrity and
excellence and to build sustainable communities. Regeneron is proud
to be included on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the
Civic 50 list of the most "community-minded" companies in the U.S.
Throughout the year, Regeneron empowers and supports employees to
give back through our volunteering, pro bono and matching gift
programs. Our most significant philanthropic commitments are in the
area of early science education, including the Regeneron Science
Talent Search and the Regeneron International Science and
Engineering Fair (ISEF).
For more information, please visit www.Regeneron.com or follow
Regeneron on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or X.
More information about the top winners and access to visual
assets visit:
https://www.societyforscience.org/isef-2024-media-kit.
Media Contacts
Joseph
Brown, Regeneron
joseph.brown2@regeneron.com
Gayle Kansagor, Society for
Science
gkansagor@societyforscience.org
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SOURCE Society for Science