Student's Research Earns Accolades

Rohan Anne '21

Rohan Anne’s research on cardiovascular disease has garnered multiple accolades, including Best of Fair Grand Prize and first place in Biomedical and Health Sciences at the Badger State Science and Engineering Fair, state winner of the Google Science Fair, and the United States Office of Naval Research Award.

For his project, Anne collaborated with researchers in the Department of Physiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin to investigate a previously unexplored pathophysiological pathway and its role in the development of hypertensive nephropathy, or damage to kidneys due to chronic high blood pressure. In a separate but related project, Anne also researched the benefits of antioxidants found in super foods like turmeric and green tea which, according to his research, mitigate the endothelial dysfunction caused by diets high in salt, a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Afiya Quryshi '20

After earning first place at the Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, Afiya Quryshi was one of two delegates who presented their research in oral sessions at the national symposium in April, where students competed for military-sponsored undergraduate tuition scholarships. Her presentation was titled “Role of GATA4 in Early Gastrointestinal Tract Development.” All other regional delegates presented their research in a poster session.

In addition, Quryshi was selected as one of 80 high school students worldwide to attend the seven-week Research Science Institute (RSI) held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology this summer. RSI accepts only 2% of applicants to participate in its cost-free, summer science and engineering program in which on-campus course work in scientific theory is combined with off-campus work in science and technology research.