7 Long Island Students Named Regeneron Finalists

LONG ISLAND, NY — Seven students from Long Island were selected as finalists in the 2022 Regeneron Science Talent Search. They are among just 40 finalists selected from a nationwide pool of more than 1,800 applicants, and will now go on to compete for a top prize of $250,000.

Just for being named finalists, each student will receive at least $25,000. The prizes for the top 10 awards range from $40,000 to $250,000. Winners will be announced during a live-streamed award ceremony on March 15.

“We are excited to welcome an exceptional group of Regeneron Science Talent Search 2022 finalists and continue our tradition of supporting the next generation of scientific leaders,” said George D. Yancopoulos, co-founder, president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron, and a 1976 Science Talent Search winner. “Competing in the Science Talent Search was life-changing for me, and helped give me the inspiration and confidence to devote myself to a life of using science to help fight disease. We look forward to seeing how this year’s finalists, with their demonstrated perseverance and creativity, continue to harness the power of science to address the many challenges facing society, and improve the lives of people around the world.”

The seven finalists from Long Island are:

• Ethan Chiu, Syosset High School. Project: "Developing a Self-Formed Ectodermal Autonomous Multi-Zone Organoid Model Using Human Stem Cells to Examine the Effect of Doxycycline Treatment on Uveal Melanoma."
• Rohan Singh Ghotra, Syosset High School. Project: "Uncovering Motif Interactions from Convolutional Attention Networks for Regulatory Genomics."
• Roberto Antonio Lopez, Brentwood High School - Ross Center. Project: "Evaluating Phragmites australis Wrack Accumulation in a Long Island Salt Marsh Ecosystem and Assessing Its Effect on Carbon Sequestration, the Nitrogen Cycle, and Sediment Biota."
• Christopher Vincenzo Luisi, John F. Kennedy High School, Bellmore. Project: "How Dietary Restriction Affects the Athleticism, Metabolic Rate, and Lifespan of Drosophila melanogaster."
• Amber Luo, Ward Melville High School, East Setauket. Project: "RiboBayes: A Wavelet Transform-Based Computational Platform to Assess the Transcriptomic Distribution and Regulation of Ribosome Pause Sites in Ribosome Profiling Data."
• Desiree Rigaud, John F. Kennedy High School, Bellmore. Project: "COVID-19 Induced Economic Stress: The Effect on Marital Functioning and Methods of Alleviating Financial Stress."
• Han Byur Youn, Roslyn High School. Project: "Why We Vote: How Positive Descriptive Norms and Holding a Minority Political Viewpoint Increase Citizens’ Intention and Responsibility to Vote."

According to Regeneron, the finalists were chosen based on their projects’ scientific rigor and their potential to become world-changing scientists and leaders. They were selected from 300 scholars, named earlier this month by Regeneron and the Society for Science. The scholars were chosen from a pool of over 1,800 entrants, all of whom completed an original research project and extensive application process.

The finalists will take part in a week-long competition from March 9-16, where they will undergo a rigorous judging process and compete for more than $1.8 million in awards. They will also have an opportunity to interact with leading scientists and share their research during a virtual “Public Day” event on March 13.

“This year’s finalists have shown resilience and dedication in the face of so many obstacles in their educational pursuits," said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of the Society for Science, publisher of Science News and a 1985 Science Talent Search alum. "From the COVID pandemic to the harsh realities of climate change, these students have demonstrated their leadership and commitment to STEM innovation. As our world continues to heal and find ways forward, these students will be the key to solving global challenges not only today, but in the future.”