2025 Research Expo Winners
All award recipients are listed alphabetically by category and award/place.Top of page
ISEF Trip Winners
The following students were awarded a space at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in
Columbus, Ohio:
Mythreya Dharani
Edward Kang
Maximilian Mkheidze
Alternate 1: Belen Franco de la Matta
Alternate 2: Junho Kee
Symposium Finalists
| Name | Category | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Claire Jiang | Biomedical Health Sciences | Effect of BMP4 on SW982 |
| Edward Kang | Biomedical Health Sciences | In Vitro and In Silico Retinal Models of Neurodevelopmental Disorders |
| Mythreya Dharani | Computational Biology and Bioinformatics | An Interpretable Machine Learning Framework to Predict Cisplatin Sensitivity |
| Mohammed Zariwala | Chemistry | Development of QSAR Model for BTK Inhibitor Ligand Screening |
| Junho Kee | Engineering | Electrocardiogram-based Seizure Detection using Electroencephalography-Electrocardiogram Representation Learning |
| Maximilian Mkheidze | Engineering | A Novel Idea in the Treatment of Edema in Diabetics |
| Anna Ekmekci | Engineering | Machine Learning for Orphan Disease Prediction and Treatment Pathways (OrphanAI) |
| Belen Franco de la Matta | Math and Physics | A Generalization of the Neighboring Domain Problem to Higher Dimensions |
| Santiago Franco de la Matta | Math and Physics | Exploring the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm and Its Generalizations |
Category Awards
Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences
| Name | Place | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Claire Shi | First | Optimizing Sustainable Leaf Insulation Tiles: A Comparative Study with Polystyrene |
| Esat Acikgoz | Second | Novel Method and Theory to Increase Hydrogen Applicability in the Fuel Industry |
| Andie Park | Third | Efficacy of Orange Peel-Derived Antioxidants in Alleviating Plant Oxidative Stress |
| DaJeong Won | Third | The Effect of Calcium Containing Substrates on Coral Growth |
Behavioral Sciences
| Name | Place | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Joshua Hong | First | From Sadness to Solutions: Exploring the Factors and Behaviors Linked to Poor Mental Health in Gen Z High School Students |
| Jayita Iyengar | Second | Tracing Early Indicators of Cognitive Impairment through Social Media Discourse |
Biomedical Health Sciences
| Name | Place | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Claire Jiang | First | Effect of BMP4 on SW982 |
| Heba Mohamed | First | Effects of SDF-1α and LY2510924 On CXCL12/CXCR4 Axis in PDAC |
| Isabella Maria Zelaya Alves | First | Using Anti-Copper Drug Tetrathiomolybdate To Inhibit Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Angiogenesis |
| Edward Kang | First | In Vitro and In Silico Retinal Models of Neurodevelopmental Disorders |
| Suh-in Kim | Second | 17β-estradiol’s Neuroprotection in Astrocytes Under Ischemic Conditions by CoCl₂-Hypoxia Model |
| Colin Jurkiewicz | Second | Reducing Amyloid-ꞵ Production in Alzheimer's Disease with Memantine & Ascorbic Acid |
| Gene Pak | Third | Effects of Clofibrate on VLCFA Levels in Human X-ALD Neurons |
| Christine Seo | Third | Traditional Eastern Herb Rhizoma Capidis' Berberine: A Novel Treatment for Obesity |
| Jerry Du | Third | Modernizing Glioblastoma Therapy: Dihydroartemisinin, Xylitol, Temozolomide Synergy |
| Layla Ramos | Third | Enhancing Doxorubicin Sensitivity in Colorectal Adenocarcinoma via PADI4 Inhibition |
| Aiden Chun | Third | Targeting NLRP3-Induced Cyclic Pathways in IL-1β Mediated Neuroinflammation |
| Kathryn Thompson | Third | Restoring ROS Homeostasis in an In Vitro Model of Ulcerative Colitis |
Cell and Molecular Biology
| Name | Place | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Ria Kamat | First | Targeting Tumor-Induced Osteoclastogenesis: Administering Osteoprotegerin to Inhibit Metastatic Osteosarcoma |
| Alexander Campo | Second | Utilizing DEGs and Hormone Analysis for Accessible Thyroid Carcinoma Treatments |
| Nevin Roy | Third | Increasing MGMT Promoter Methylation & Glioblastoma Chemosensitivity by DNMT Overexpression |
Chemistry
| Name | Place | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Eliot Lee | First | Investigation of Photocatalytic Microplastic Decomposition under High Intensity Visible Light |
| Mohammed Zariwala | First | Development of QSAR Model for BTK Inhibitor Ligand Screening |
| Alexander Choi | Second | Investigation of sustainable flame-retardant coatings for nylon-cotton fabric |
| David Szabo-Dery | Second | Decomposition Study of Marine Microplastics with Photocatalytic N-TiO2 Coatings |
| Nina Narvaez | Third | Fabrication of Vertically Structured Moisture-driven Energy Generators |
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
| Name | Place | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Mythreya Dharani | First | An Interpretable Machine Learning Framework to Predict Cisplatin Sensitivity |
| Hanvit Lee | Second | Deep Learning and Molecular Dynamics Simulation-Based Identification of Novel Gαq and HDAC4 Inhibitors for Chemoembolization of Uveal Melanoma |
Engineering
| Name | Place | Title |
|---|---|---|
| James Doherty, Michael Hernandez | First | Cheaper Alternative to LiDAR Based Surveying for 3d Mapping |
| Maximilian Mkheidze | First | A Novel Idea in the Treatment of Edema in Diabetics |
| Anna Ekmekci | Second | Machine Learning for Orphan Disease Prediction and Treatment Pathways (OrphanAI) |
| Junho Kee | Third | Electrocardiogram-based Seizure Detection using Electroencephalography-Electrocardiogram Representation Learning |
Math and Physics
| Name | Place | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Belen Franco De La Matta | First | A Generalization of the Neighboring Domain Problem to Higher Dimensions |
| Santiago Franco de la Matta | Second | Exploring the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm and Its Generalizations |
| Galen Liu | Third | High-throughput metal-organic framework screening using machine learning for atrazine remediation |
Special Awards
| Name | Award | Category | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claire Shi | Association for Women Geoscientists | Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences | Optimizing Sustainable Leaf Insulation Tiles: A Comparative Study with Polystyrene |
| Belen Franco de la Matta | BCA Math Team Award | Math and Physics | A Generalization of the Neighboring Domain Problem to Higher Dimensions |
| Cheyanne Williams | NASA Earth System Science Award | Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences | Using Pressure differentiation to Understand Tornadogenesis |
| DaJeong Won | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration “Taking the Pulse of the Planet” Award | Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences | The Effect of Calcium Containing Substrates on Coral Growth |
| Yana Janevska | Naval Science Award | Biomedical Health Sciences | Suppressing Multiple Sclerosis-Induced Inflammation using JAK/STAT Inhibitor Tofacitinib |
| Raunak Singh | Naval Science Award | Engineering | Using ML to Protect ML: Defending Privacy-Preserving Model Training |
| Dana Tafliovich | Naval Science Award | Biomedical Health Sciences | Combinatorial Verteporfin and Melatonin Treatment as KRAS-G12D Pancreatic Cancer Therapy |
| Mythreya Dharani | Regeneron Biomedical Science Award | Computational Biology and Bioinformatics | An Interpretable Machine Learning Framework to Predict Cisplatin Sensitivity |
| Esat Acikgoz | Ricoh USA, Inc. Sustainable Development Award | Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences | Novel Method and Theory to Increase Hydrogen Applicability in the Fuel Industry |
| Heba Mohamed | Society for In Vitro Biology Award | Biomedical Health Sciences | Effects of Regulated SDF-1α On CXC-12/CXCR4 in Pancreatic Cancer |
| Lilian Ivlev | U.S. Metric Association | Chemistry | Synthesis of Metal Oxide Nanomaterials for Textile Dye Pollutant Adsorption |
| Eliot Lee | U.S. Stockholm Junior Water Prize | Chemistry | Investigation of Photocatalytic Microplastic Decomposition under High Intensity Visible Light |
| Rachel Kim | United States Air Force | Engineering | PHILIS: Low-Cost NAM Using LogP Simulations to Reduce Animal Testing |
| Sean Kim | United States Air Force | Cell and Molecular Biology | Potential Colorectal Cancer Treatment through Niclosamide/Metformin Combination |
| Isabella Zelaya Alves | United States Air Force | Biomedical Health | Using Anti-Copper Drug Tetrathiomolybdate To Inhibit Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Angiogenesis |
| Leo Li | Yale Science and Engineering Association | Chemistry | Freeze-casting Recrystallization of Silk Proteins over Templated Stainless Steel Surface |