2 HV Students Place In 2024 Regeneron Science Talent Search Top 10

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Two Hudson Valley students were among the top winners of the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2024.

Thomas Cong, 17, of Ossining, won second place and $175,000 for investigating the rapid growth of certain cancers and whether information controlling metabolism is primarily controlled by the expression of genetic information.

He found that immune cancers have pronounced differences in metabolism and gene expression, which suggests that a more complex landscape of metabolic variation exists and gives further insight into cancer studies.

Sixth place went to Christopher Zorn, 17, of Irvington. He received an $80,000 award for investigating the relationship between RET, a gene involved in cellular signals, and MYC, a set of genes that regulate cell growth and death.

Zorn created genetically altered lung cancer cell lines, exposed them to various drugs and measured the MYC protein levels, which appeared at elevated levels and were shown to lead to treatment resistance. His findings suggest paths for further drug research targeting both RET and MYC.

The awards were given out Tuesday at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., emceed by American journalist Soledad O’Brien.

More than $1.8 million was awarded to the 40 finalists, who were selected from among the largest entrant pool since the 1960s through a holistic evaluation process.

The competition, which is now in its 83rd year, has consistently identified young innovators who become tomorrow’s STEM leaders, according to a spokesperson.

Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of the Society for Science and executive publisher of Science News, congratulated Cong on his second-place win.

“His research advances our understanding of cancer gene expression and metabolism,” she said, “and could point us toward new therapies in the future. We are eager to see where his academic career leads him next.”

Ajmera also offered congratulations to Zorn for his sixth-place achievement.

“Christohper’s project has the potential to make a real difference in how we treat and investigate future lung cancer therapies,” she said. “We are encouraged by his results and eager to see how his research contributes to the field.”