Two Northport High School seniors – Jonah Thomas and Isabella DeBrino – recently submitted their applications to the 2020 Regeneron Science Talent Search.
Each year, more than 2,000 high school students enter the prestigious science and math competition, submitting original research in critically important scientific fields.
Northport’s science research students were no exception. Under the mentorship of Dr. Lionel Blanc and Mr. Ryan Ashley of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Jonah studied the effects of glucocorticoid drug therapy in healthy blood cells. His project provided further insight into the understanding of drug resistance observed in diseased Diamond Blackfan Anemia cells.
Isabella interned in the Proteomics Laboratory of the Research Pathology Department at Stony Brook University for seven weeks under the direction of Dr. John Haley. Her project focused on mapping the effects of specific proteins – ERRFI1 and MAPK3 – on the resulting phosphorylation of cancer pathways. Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, or NSCLC, is the leading cause of cancer related deaths, accounting for 80-85% of all lung cancer diagnoses.
“Northport High School is proud to support Regeneron STS 2020 applicants Jonah Thomas and Isabella DeBrino and wish them well throughout the competition,” David Storch, the district’s chairperson of science technology and engineering education, said.