San Ramon Student Wins First Place At Contra Costa Science Fair

SAN RAMON, CA — A Dougherty Valley junior is heading to the California Science & Engineering Fair after winning first place at the Contra Costa Science & Engineering Fair.

Naina Chopra learned that a family friend battling bladder cancer was using Vitamin C as an alternative treatment method. Chopra was curious to learn more about this approach, so she reached out to hundreds of local labs before she found one willing to sponsor her research. For two months, she exposed bladder cancer cell cultures to varying doses of Vitamin C, and found that it did indeed inhibit cancer cell proliferation.

Chopra’s project, entitled “Investigation of the Role of Ascorbic Acid in Reducing Bladder Cancer Presence” won first place at the Contra Costa Science & Engineering Fair. She is excited to present the same research at the state fair.

"I'm really thankful for the opportunity to share his story and potentially contribute to the advancement of cancer treatment," she told Patch in an email. "If my project can offer even a bit of hope to those battling cancer, then it's all worth it. If promising, I hope to use those results to hopefully get the treatment cleared for human trials and assess the viability of the ascorbic acid as a major solution to preventing further cancer growth in patients with bladder cancer.”

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