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ARMONK, NY — Two Byram Hills High School seniors have secured their places among the best of the best.
From the Byram Hills Central School District.
Byram Hills High School seniors Max Charney and Lindsay Coady were chosen as top scholars in the prestigious Regeneron Science Talent Search, a recognition of their original research conducted in the school’s three-year Authentic Science Research Program.
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Max and Lindsay were among the top 300 students selected in the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. The scholars won $2,000 each and Byram Hills will receive $4,000.
SEE ALSO: 23 Hudson Valley Students Named Regeneron Scholars
“We are so proud of these talented student-scientists, for their hard work, dedication and commitment to improving the world through research and discovery,” said Stephanie Greenwald, director of the Byram Hills Authentic Science Research Program. “Their exemplary work is an inspiration to our program.”
The 300 scholars were chosen from more than 2,600 students who entered the competition. On Jan. 21, 40 finalists will be announced. They will compete at a weeklong competition in March for more than $1.8 million in awards. The top prize is $250,000.
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The Society for Science, which runs the competition, said the scholars were selected for their outstanding research, leadership skills, community involvement, commitment to academics, creativity in asking scientific questions and exceptional promise as STEM leaders.
“Congratulations to Max, Lindsay and the entire ASR Program for this important honor,” Byram Hills Principal Christopher Walsh said. “The entire Byram Hills community is so proud of their hard work and dedication, and this recognition is well deserved.”
Max used vast consumer data from Amazon reviews in a unique way to assess social behavior in two investigations. First, through an exhaustive computer analysis of several million fitness product reviews, he provided some of the strongest evidence to date of people’s adherence to their New Year’s fitness resolutions. Next, Max found that taste complaints in food-product reviews align with COVID-19 prevalence and may predict future disease cases, suggesting promise for early warning surveillance. Taken together, Max showed that consumer reviews offer a powerful approach for understanding social behaviors on a large scale.
“I’m excited and grateful to receive this honor,” Max said. “This is a testament to all of the support that I’ve received from the Byram Hills community and my mentors.”
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Lindsay studied schizophrenia, a severe, debilitating psychiatric disorder with symptoms including hallucinations and delusions. Due to the unknown cause of schizophrenia, understanding mechanisms that potentially induce this disorder are difficult. Recent data have pointed to the immune system as a potential underlying cause of the disorder. Her study focused on identifying which key immune proteins are associated with schizophrenia as compared to other groups with mental disorders. Overall, her findings offer new evidence that immune dysfunction contributes to schizophrenia and may eventually guide more precise and effective treatments for this complex disorder.
“I feel extremely proud but also super thankful for all the people who have helped me, specifically my mentor,” Lindsay said. “Going to the lab and being able to conduct research alongside all these professionals was the most amazing experience I’ve ever had. For me to put that into writing and be able to present these results and be recognized is also equally as amazing.”
Entering the science research program as a sophomore, Lindsay said she never felt an honor like this would happen. “It showed me that my passion for my topic, working diligently and all the long nights were worth it,” she said. “It shows me that dreams can never really be too big.”
The Science Talent Search, which dates to 1942, recognizes high school seniors who are promising young scientists working to solve global problems through research. Past competition winners have gone on to collect the Nobel Prize, Fields Medal, MacArthur Fellowships and other awards.
This press release was produced by the Byram Hills Central School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
2 Byram Hills HS Students Among Nation’s Top 300 Teen Scientists originally appeared on the Chappaqua-Mount Kisco Patch
