Regeneron finalists: Get to know the 3 young scientists from Long Island

Three Long Island high school seniors from Nassau County are competing in Washington, D.C., as finalists in the nation’s most prestigious and well-known science competition: Regeneron Science Talent Search.

Representing the Island are Jacob Gross of Roslyn High School, Vincent Huang of Syosset High School and Natasha Kulviwat of Jericho High School.

Finals week started Wednesday and the top 10 finishers will be announced Tuesday.

The 40 finalists — all high school seniors — are competing for awards ranging from $40,000 to $250,000. Each student automatically receives $25,000 for reaching the finals.

Finalists must use their prize money for educational purposes and can have those funds released directly to their college or university.

Regeneron selections are based on research skills, academics, innovation and promise as scientists, according to the Society for Science, which runs the competition.

The Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists were selected from 2,162 applications received from 712 high schools across 46 states, Guam, Puerto Rico and 10 other countries. The competition is in its 83rd year.

Here's how Long Island's finalists say they got there:

Jacob Gross, Roslyn High School

Age: 17

College and intended major: I have not yet committed, but plan to major in molecular biology and potentially pursue a career in biotechnology.

Project Title: Investigating Synergistic Interactions Among SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies

Mentor and location of lab, if applicable: My Roslyn High School research mentor is Dr. Allyson Weseley. I conducted my research at the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center at Columbia University at the Dr. David Ho Lab. I worked with Dr. Sho Iketani, who mentored and supported me throughout my time at the lab.

Explainer for nonscientists: Since the beginning of the pandemic, COVID-19 has caused millions of deaths worldwide. However, as the virus spreads and replicates, it is notorious for mutating. This means that antibodies used to treat COVID-19 have trouble recognizing the virus, which weakens their efficacy. A potential way to increase antibody treatment efficacy is to combine multiple antibodies. The specific purpose of my research was to uncover synergistic antibody combinations, which means the combination is more effective than the sum of the individual parts.

Based on previous scientific literature, I believe an antibody named S309 indirectly increases the efficacy of class two antibodies, which accounts for the synergistic effect. It seems that synergy between COVID-19 antibodies depends on highly nuanced and specific antibody-virus interactions.

Inspiration for project: During my sophomore year, I knew I wanted to conduct biological research over the summer in a lab. I had searched for nearby labs and was very interested in the work conducted by the Dr. David Ho Lab at Columbia. I began to read much of the scholarly literature regarding COVID. I had noticed that with the emergence of new COVID variants, monoclonal antibody treatments become less effective. So, I began to wonder how antibodies could be combined to combat new variants.

It is an incredible honor to have been chosen as a Regeneron finalist.

Role model and why: Dr. Weseley of Roslyn High School has been my research mentor since ninth grade. During my sophomore year of high school, Dr. Weseley encouraged me to reach out to multiple labs seeking a summer internship. Dr. Weseley supports my nontraditional ways of thinking and always embraces my ideas. She attends every research presentation that I have given, even over the summer when school is not in session. She is always reachable, she goes over and beyond, and she is truly invested in me. She inspires me to keep learning, exploring, and she accepts me for who I am. I admire Dr. Weseley for her intellect and dedication.

What I do for fun: I love all outdoor activities, including hiking, sailing and especially skiing. My love for skiing has led to a passion for meteorology; I am constantly tracking weather patterns and snow depths across the United States. Name a U.S. mountain and I can probably give a quick summary about the snowpack. Also, through my love for skiing, I’ve developed an interest in chairlift mechanics.

Favorite movie and/or video game: My favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption.

Something people do not know about me: I play both the viola and the piano, and I have a broad taste in music. I like everything from classical music like Henri Vieuxtemps to salsa like Mark Anthony.

Thoughts on this achievement: It is an incredible honor to have been chosen as a Regeneron finalist. I am so grateful for Dr. Weseley’s ongoing support and that Dr. Iketani was willing to provide me, a rising high school junior at the time, a chance to work in a professional lab. I am really looking forward to meeting all the other finalists.

Vincent Huang, Syosset High School

Age: 17

College and intended major: Have not committed yet.

Project Title: A Smart Computer Program LauePt4 for Recognizing and Simulating Laue Patterns and Its Applications

Mentor and location of lab if applicable: Professor Balaji Raghothamachar and Professor Michael Dudley; Laboratory for Synchrotron X-Ray Topography, Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering at Stony Brook University

Explainer for nonscientists: When a crystal is hit by a “white” X-ray beam, the various internal atomic lattice planes will diffract the beam in many directions, which creates a Laue pattern. I created a computer application that can quickly and reliably recognize and analyze these patterns to determine the identity and internal lattice orientations of crystals. The program already has been widely used at national laboratories and universities worldwide for research and development of novel wide-bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide, aluminum nitride and gallium nitride that have critical applications for electric vehicles and 5G networks.

Inspiration for project: Reliable interpretation of Laue patterns was a historical obstacle in the field of crystallography. In particular, recognition of Laue patterns taken from crystals with arbitrary or unknown internal orientations was an impossibility. I thought to apply the power of computing to solve this problem, which launched this project.

This project means the world to me ... next to my name should appear the names of my mentors, my teachers, my family and my friends.

Role model and why: As a New England Patriots fan, Tom Brady is my role model. I admire his relentless drive and motivation during his 23-year career, which saw him ascend from a forgotten sixth-round pick to the greatest of all time.

What I do for fun: I enjoy fitness and working out. I am also a competitive sailor.

Favorite movie and/or video game: My favorite movie is Amadeus, the 1984 biographical drama about the life of Mozart.

Something people do not know about me: I love motor racing, particularly Formula One. It is the perfect blend of high human stakes, technological brilliance and leadership.

Thoughts on this achievement: This project means the world to me. It gave me comprehensive experience how to start and complete a systematic project that requires interest, inspiration, confidence, enthusiasm, knowledge, learning, patience and hard work. I also gained invaluable experience of collaboration, communications, documenting, writing and presentation. All these would not have been possible without so many people who have done so much for me. Though the award may be credited to me, next to my name should appear the names of my mentors, my teachers, my family and my friends.

Natasha Kulviwat, Jericho High School

Age: 17

College and intended major: Harvard University, neuroscience

Project Title: The Neurobiology of Suicide: Blood-Brain Barrier Breakdown as a Novel Suicide-Risk Biomarker

Mentor and location of lab, if applicable: Dr. Mark D. Underwood, Columbia University’s Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division

Explainer for nonscientists: I investigated human brain tissue and found an abnormal increase in proteins that make up our blood-brain barrier in the brains of those who died by suicide. Thus, blood-brain barrier breakdown could serve as an early biomarker for suicide. I also looked into DNA methylation and RNA sequencing data and found differentially expressed genetic risk loci in suicide decedents that therapeutics could potentially target.

Inspiration for project: I started my research in my freshman year during the COVID pandemic when suicide rates were high. I started reading more on the topic and came to learn that despite over 50 years of research, the same self-report behavioral measures have failed to accurately assess suicide risk. While fields such as cancer and other infectious diseases have made considerable forward strides in regards to diagnosis and treatment, the same cannot be said about suicide research. That’s when I knew I wanted to research more into candidate biomarkers for suicide risk.

My project is a culmination of years of passion and countless hours working in the lab and late nights battling code errors ...

Role model and why: I look up to Dr. Priscilla Chan because I admire how she uses her wealth to make a difference through her philanthropic efforts. When I was younger, I watched a video where she talked about her job as a pediatrician with so much passion and care that it cemented my goal of pursuing medicine.

What I do for fun: I’m very lucky to have such amazing friends. Whether it’s spending hours on FaceTime playing Skribbl or going to each other’s houses to play Just Dance and karaoke, I’m always laughing uncontrollably while I’m with them.

Favorite movie and/or video game: TV series – The Good Place and video game – Boomerang Fu (I have lost every game)

Something people do not know about me: When I was 5, I went viral in Thailand for getting chosen to go on stage at this famous singer’s concert and then choosing to sing an elephant nursery rhyme, with the elephant noises, too.

Thoughts on this achievement: My project is a culmination of years of passion and countless hours working in the lab and late nights battling code errors, so I am very grateful for this award. Additionally, to share this title with other brilliant finalists, scientists and Nobel laureates is an incredible honor.

By Joie Tyrrell

joie.tyrrell@newsday.com@JoieTyrrell

Joie Tyrrell is a Long Island native and covers education for Newsday, where she has worked since 1998.