Mountain View Teen Competes In National Science Contest

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA -- Ananya Karthik has learned a valuable lesson or two about aging in her 17 years on the planet.

She has discovered that combatting cerebral ailments such as dementia takes much discipline and a new approach to reach the root of the problem. The St. Francis High School teenager has come up with a noninvasive way to target the delivery of a drug for the condition at the right place and right time in the brain. Her 10-page research paper has moved her through a qualifier competing with 2,000 other science whizzes, whittled her chances down to 300 on a regional level and onto the national contest in Washington, D.C. The finals are slated for March 12.

Now before one can say the accomplishment is the nature of innovative types found in the Silicon Valley, who start early in life at impressing the world, it's her relationship with family and a personal experience that serves as a key motivator.

Her late grandmother had dementia, and they were close.

"She struggled with the loss of her neurological functions, and her cognitive thought was declining," she said.

The questions she asked herself about what can be done represented an extension of the inquiries this insightful teen has been asking for years.

"Since elementary school, I always kept asking questions about the world around me," she said.

In sixth grade, the youngster studied the nutrient value of "micro greens" as a life science project.

Now, her advancement in science has garnered an understanding how developing biodegradable nanoparticles can be manipulated to release drugs to the brain through ultrasound waves. The hypothesis may eliminate the need for inserting needles in the brain.

Beyond neurodegenerative diseases, the technology's application may benefit those with other conditions such as psychiatric disorders such as PTSD - post traumatic stress disorder, depression or brain cancer.

Also in the family realm, her sister Anjini, 20, has forged a path for her sibling to follow. The Stanford University student qualified for the national finals as well.

"I’m very proud of Ananya—she’s always been an extremely hard worker and very persistent. I’m excited to see everything she accomplishes in the future. Also, the community of (Science Talent Search) finalists is a really special one, so I think it’s great that she’ll get to be a part of that in college and beyond," she said.