While their classmates gear up for prom and AP tests, two Cherry Creek High School students are preparing to present scientific medical research in Washington, D.C.
Seniors Isani Singh and Abilash Prabhakaran are two of 40 finalists nationwide in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, first started in 1942. They were selected out of 1,800 applicants and have already earned more than $25,000 each for their work, with chances for additional cash prizes and even more recognition.
“It’s definitely mind-blowing. It’s unbelievable. It’s really exciting,” Prabhakaran said.
The journey to the Regeneron final 40 is a long one. Entrants first were narrowed to 300 scholars. Regeneron gifted each of those students and their schools $2,000. Then, the 40 finalists were selected. They each received an additional $25,000 and the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., March 8-14 to showcase their research. Kyle Fridberg of Boulder’s Fairview High School also made the finals.
The 40 finalists — from 31 schools across 15 states — will present their research for judging, display their work to the public March 11, connect with their Congress members and meet notable scientists in fields related to their research.
The 10 winners will be announced March 13 at a black-tie gala awards ceremony in the National Building Museum. The top prizes range from $40,000 to $250,000 to help continue the students’ research and professional success.
“The Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists are tomorrow’s scientific leaders, and their projects address some of the most urgent challenges we face as a society. Our world has no greater or more important resource than these bright young minds,” Regeneron president and chief scientific officer George Yancopoulos said in a statement announcing the finalists.
Both Cherry Creek students found inspiration for the theoretical in the personal. Prabhakaran’s grandmother battled breast cancer when he was in eighth grade. She survived, but experienced painful side effects from her chemotherapy treatment.
“To me, it was shocking that the drug was somehow making her feel even worse,” Prabhakaran said.
Her difficulties sparked Prabhakaran’s interest in finding more efficient and healthier ways to deliver cancer drugs. Cancerous cells express unique electrical properties, different from normal cells. Over more than a year of research at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences on the Anschutz Medical Campus, Prabhakaran discovered he could deliver a molecule named DiBAC4(3) via nanoparticles to better target cancer cells while leaving normal cells untouched.
As difficult as the research may sound, the process of finding a lab to work in was just as trying, he said. Prabhakaran reached out to more than 50 professors and was rejected 49 times before finally receiving that “yes.” The experience taught him the value of persistence, and to trust in the purpose behind his study, Prabhakaran said.
“Thankfully she survived,” he said of his grandmother. “But that story isn’t the same for so many women.”
Singh found personal inspiration during her research. She focuses on Turner syndrome, a rare and little-understood genetic disorder that only affects women with a specific missing X chromosome. Singh was drawn to Turner syndrome because there is room for original research and she is interested in genetics.
“Genetics … is that bridge between math and science, math and biology,” she said. Before gravitating toward science, Singh was a top performer in math competitions.
While Singh began studying Turner syndrome during her sophomore year, her Regeneron-recognized research began last summer at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Mass., while she participating in the prestigious Research Science Institute program. Singh identified the genes influenced by Turner syndrome and confirmed that any living woman with Turner has a mix of normal and affected cells, known in genetics as a mosaic. About 98 percent of fetuses with Turner don’t make it to term, which led Singh to suspect those who did survive had a more viable blend of cells.
She presented her findings at the National Turner Syndrome Conference, where her perspective was changed by women living with Turner. Seeing their insecurity about the condition and hearing how they had to combat misconceptions gave her research new passion.
“I thought, ‘Oh, maybe it’s just my curiosity,’ but no, these women with Turner syndrome (are also curious),” Singh said. “You can’t really solve the problem unless you know what’s going on.”
Both Singh and Prabhakaran look forward to long careers in science because of the direct impact they can make on the lives of others.
“As people on the outside of (Turner), knowing that there are people suffering, it’s our responsibility to help them in any way that we can,” Singh said.
“I’ve always been curious about understanding how the world works and understanding how I can make an impact on this world,” Prabhakaran said. “Science has really showed me I can make an impact on people’s lives.”
