American high school students earn top honors for liver disease and brain injury research

The shortlist of contenders for the highest science honor awarded to American high school students narrowed tonight as the winners of the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology Region 3 Finals were announced.  Research that may help in the treatment of childhood liver disease earned top honors and the $3,000 Individual scholarship for John Wen of Iowa City, Iowa.  Research with the potential to create treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's won the $6,000 Team scholarship for Edgar Wang, Wayne Shu and Justin Yuan of Troy, Michigan.

The students presented their research this weekend to a panel of judges from the University of Notre Dame, host of the Region 3 Finals. They are now invited to advance to the National Finals in Washington, DC, December 2-5, 2011, where $500,000 in scholarships will be awarded, including two top prizes of $100,000.  The Siemens Competition, a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, is administered by the College Board.

"The Siemens Competition has a proud history of attracting awe-inspiring research projects from America's best and brightest and we are pleased to see that this year is no exception," said Jeniffer Harper-Taylor, president of the Siemens Foundation.  "We can all take heart in the remarkable work being done by this next generation of young innovators as exemplified by John Wen, Edgar Wang, Wayne Shu and Justin Yuan."

The Winning Individual

John Wen, a senior at West High School in Iowa City, Iowa, won the individual category and a $3,000 college scholarship for his biology project, which explored the most common cause of childhood liver failure and the leading cause of liver transplants in children in the United States.  

His project, entitled A novel lectin-like ubiquitin ligase degrades disease-causing A1AT-Z, studied liver disease, specifically characterized by the deficiency of the Alpha 1-Antitrypsin (A1AT) protein in children.

"Mr. Wen demonstrated a deep understanding of his topic," said competition judge Dr. Crislyn D'Souza-Schorey, Professor of Biological Sciences at Notre Dame. "His research enhances the current understanding of how the A1AT-Z mutant enzyme is removed from liver cells.  This work is beneficial in that it could inform new therapies to treat the number one genetic cause of liver disease in children."

John Wen is the first student from his school to be named a National Finalist in the Siemens Competition. A National AP Scholar with Distinction, he is also an accomplished pianist who took part in the prestigious Aspen Music Festival and has performed on NPR's "From the Top." After recent floods devastated his home state, he performed in benefit concerts to help Iowa's music program recover. His mentor on the project was Dr. Kevin Glenn.

The Winning Team

Edgar Wang and Justin Yuan, both seniors, and Wayne Shu, a junior, all of Troy High School in Troy, Michigan, won the team category and will share a $6,000 scholarship for their project, MicroRNA 17-92 Cluster Mediates Sonic Hedgehog Induced Neurogenesis on Neural Stem Cells After Stroke, which studied the molecular changes that occur in the brain after stoke, focusing on neural stem cells.

"This team's energy, comprehension of their research topic, and exemplary teamwork captured the imagination of the judges," said competition judge Dr. Rebecca Wingert, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at Notre Dame.  "Their research found that particular molecules that can regulate gene expression were produced in response to stroke and were linked to neural cell proliferation. Their research may contribute to future medical treatments for brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases."

Edgar Wang was a finalist in the Future Problem Solvers International Competition, a gold medalist in the World Piano Competition Young Artists Division and a National Chemistry Olympiad finalist with honors. He aspires to be a biochemist.

Justin Yuan is the president of the Spanish club and plays trumpet in his school's marching band, as well as piano and guitar.  A member of the Boy Scouts and a long distance runner for the track team, he hopes to study chemistry, biology or pre-medicine in college. 

Wayne Shu is president of his class Student Government and Model United Nations.  A passionate musician, he is the leader of his school's a capella group and concert master of its orchestra.  He loves to write music and play the piano, violin, guitar, ukulele and harmonica.  The team's mentor on the project was Dr. Michael Chopp, Henry Ford Hospital.

Regional Finalists

The remaining regional finalists each received a $1,000 scholarship.  Regional Finalists in the individual category were:

• Anirudh Prabhu, West Lafayette Junior/Senior High School, West Lafayette, Indiana
• Nicholas Sun, Rock Bridge High School, Columbia, Missouri
• Lilly Wang, Lake Forest High School, Lake Forest, Illinois
• Michael Yan, Orange High School, Pepper Pike, Ohio

Team Regional Finalists were:

• Surya Bhupatiraju and William Kuszmaul, Lexington High School, Lexington, Massachusetts
• Harsha Vemuri, Theja Bhamidipati and Vaibhav Vavilala, Carmel High School, Carmel, Indiana
• Michael Zhang, Belmont High School, Belmont, Massachusetts, and Yongyi Chen, Bedford High School, Bedford, Massachusetts
• Andrew Zhou, John Burroughs School, St. Louis, Missouri, and Joel Sher, Parkway Central High School, Chesterfield, Missouri