18 Hudson Valley Students Named Regeneron Scholars

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — The top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2025, the nation's oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors, were announced Wednesday by the Society for Science — and 18 of them are from the Hudson Valley.

The 300 scholars will be awarded $2,000 each and their schools will be awarded $2,000 for each enrolled scholar.

"Congratulations to the Regeneron Science Talent Search top 300 scholars, who demonstrate the extraordinary potential of nurtured STEM talent," said Christina Chan, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Regeneron, the global biotech giant based in the Hudson Valley. "Our long-standing partnership with Society for Science is a cornerstone of our commitment to elevate these future scientific leaders, and we look forward to seeing how their discoveries will tackle global challenges and help improve our world."

The Regeneron Science Talent Search scholars were selected from nearly 2,500 entrants from 795 high schools across 48 states, American Samoa, Guam, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and 14 other countries.

On Jan. 23, 40 of them will be named Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists. The finalists will then compete for more than $1.8 million in awards during a weeklong competition in Washington, D.C. from March 6 to March 12.

Scholars were chosen based on their outstanding research, leadership skills, community involvement, commitment to academics, creativity in asking scientific questions and demonstration of exceptional promise as leaders in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through original, independent research projects, essays, and recommendations.

The 300 scholars hail from 200 American and international high schools in 33 states, Washington D.C., China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Switzerland. Locally, they include:

Joseph Reuben Birnbaum, 18, New Paltz Central High School, NY. Project Title: The Effects of Wildfire Intensity on the Regeneration of Pinus rigida Mill on the Shawangunk Ridge

Elena Coelho Adams, 17, New Rochelle High School 1, NY. Project Title: Music to My Eyes: The Relationships Between Auditory and Visual Input and the Formation of Synesthetic Associations

• SEE ALSO: New Rochelle HS's Elena Coelho Adams Chosen As Regeneron Semifinalist

Kelly Deng, 18, Scarsdale High School, NY. Project Title: Macrophage-Stimulating Protein/RON (MST1R) Sensitivity Underlies the Pathogenesis of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: Potential for Novel Pharmacological Interventions via Transcriptomic Imputation

Chinmayi Goyal, 17, Yorktown High School, NY. Project Title: MyoAssist: An Innovative AI-Based, User-Driven Exoskeletal Assistive Control System for Individuals With Movement Disabilities

Kento Luke Hong, 18, Edgemont High School, NY. Project Title: Investing the Effects of Hemarthrosis on the Structure and Function of ACL Repair

Sara Mae Jankovic, 18, Horace Greeley High School, NY. Project Title: Toppling the Domino Effect: A Novel Approach to Predicting Systemic Banking Distress Using Interacting Networks Analysis

Anthony Jiang, 17, Ossining High School, NY. Project Title: Short-Formatted Video Product Advertisements Influence on Purchasing Behavior Among Children and Adolescents

Andrew Levy, 18, Byram Hills High School, NY. Project Title: Analyzing Extracellular Vesicles for Prediction of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patient Immunotherapy Response

• SEE ALSO: Byram Hills Senior Andrew Levy Chosen As A Regeneron Semifinalist

Vivek Malik, 17, Hackley School, NY. Project Title: Novel Characterization of Plexin D1’s Role in Regulating the Macrophage Immune Response

Nora Morton, 17, Horace Greeley High School, NY. Project Title: Evaluation of the Performance of Wave Attenuation Devices (WADs) at a Coastal Marsh Shoreline Using a Smartphone-Based Wave Intensity Sensor (WILSON)

Madeleine Rose Pachella, 18, Pelham Memorial High School, NY. Project Title: Analyzing B Cell Classification Changes in the Cerebrospinal Fluid and Blood Influenced by Ocrelizumab Treatment in Multiple Sclerosis

Reese Hailey Potash, 17, Harrison High School, NY. Project Title: Lack of School Engagement as a Mediator Between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Juvenile Offending

Axel van Ogtrop Robinson, 17, Pelham Memorial High School, NY. Project Title: Insomnia Phenotypes and Their Adverse Health Effects

Isabella Pushpa Vembenil, 17, The Ursuline School, NY. Project Title: Beyond the Heartbeat: A Novel Machine Learning Approach to Identifying Palliative Care Candidates in Heart Failure

Lilianne Williams-Ameen, 17, Dobbs Ferry High School, NY. Project Title: The Next Generation: An Exploration of Youth Attitudes on Climate Change in Alaska and Northern Canada

Makayla Winslow, 17, Yorktown High School, NY. Project Title: Transglutaminase as a Novel Mediator of Dopamine Toxicity in Parkinson’s Disease

Haylli Yunga, 17, Ossining High School, NY. Project Title: Modeling Eccentricity and Spin-Precession in Binary Black Hole Gravitational Wave Events Using the Effective One-Body Method

Meadow Zhang, 17, Horace Greeley High School, NY. Project Title: Leveraging Lipid Nanoparticle Technology for the Targeted Delivery of mRNA to Germinal Center B Cells

"Congratulations to the 300 scholars in this year’s Regeneron Science Talent Search," said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO, Society for Science and Executive Publisher, Science News. "With a record-breaking number of applications, these exceptional young scientists and engineers represent the best in the nation. We are thrilled to celebrate their ingenuity, hard work, and passion for STEM."

The full list of scholars can be viewed here.