New York, March 15 (IANS) An Indian-origin teen has won a prestigious high schoolers' science prize of $250,000 for developing a computer model to predict the structure of RNA molecules that can aid in quickly diagnosing diseases.
Neel Moudgal, 17, was announced the winner of the Regeneron Science Talent competition on Tuesday.
Ambika Grover, 17, was ranked sixth for an $80,000 award and Siddhu Pachipala, 18, placed ninth for a $50,000 prize.
About 2,000 high school students competed in the Science Talent Search with 40 selected for the final round.
According to the Society for Science that ran the competition sponsored by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Moudgal's computational biology and bioinformatics project "can rapidly and reliably predict the structure of various RNA molecules to facilitate the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutic drugs for diseases such as cancer, autoimmune diseases and viral infections".
Grover developed an injectable microbubble to break up blood clots and treat stroke victims by restoring the blood flow to the brain.
Pachipala used machine learning to assess a patient's suicide risk.
By analysing a patient's journal entries the semantics in an individual's writing could be correlated with their psychological health and risk of suicide.
Pachipala, who was chosen by the finalists as most exemplifying them, also was given the Seaborg Award.
The winners of the Science Talent Search programme originally sponsored by Westinghouse and now associated with the current sponsor Regeneron have gone on to win 11 Nobel Prizes and two Fields Medals for mathematics.
George Yancopoulos, the co-founder and president of the New York State-headquartered Regeneron, was himself the Science Talent Search winner in 1976.
That experience convinced him to work on curing diseases and added: "I can only hope this year's students will be similarly inspired to become the next generation of scientists, engineers and innovators that will develop and advance solutions for the world's greatest challenges".
“I encountered dead bodies, while I was climbing ahead of Camp 3. I was terrified. I stood there for 10-15 minutes and said 'if you (dead bodies) have completed the summit then that it is alright but if you haven't then I will complete the summit for you and go back alive."
Over 1,200 individuals convicted in a period of 12 years and more than 25,000 females rescued from Nepal and India by Maiti Nepal, a non-governmental organization started by Anuradha Koirala, a social activist who has dedicated her life towards the rescue and rehabilitation of survivors of human trafficking.
At a young age of 20,Anoop Virk is carving a path that directly empowers the deprived. In her recent mission to Zambia, Virk assisted in establishing a primary school and instilling the values of gender equality.
Trevor Linden has a goal for the Vancouver Canucks. And it's probably the same goal as every Canucks fan. Linden wants to see Vancouver win the coveted Stanley Cup. But, unlike most fans, he's just been given a second chance to help make that happen.
Earlier this year, Dr. Gupta was named the 13th president and vice chancellor of the University of British Columbia. Not only is Gupta a “renowned expert in research and innovation policy forging close collaborations between universities, civil society and business,” but he is the first South Asian to hold this coveted position overseeing one of the leading universities in the world.
Whether faced with praise or controversy, Singh remained stoic to his beliefs and values and is recognized as one of India’s most prolific novelists and figures
