Herricks Student Named Regeneron Finalist

A Herricks High School student is among five students from Long Island who were named Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists.

Eish Maheshwari is among the 40 finalists selected from 300 semifinalists, known as Scholars, who were selected from more than 2,000 entrants from across the country. Regeneron said that the finalists were chosen based on the scientific rigor of their projects and their potential to "become world-changing scientists."

Maheshwari was recognized for the following research: "design of a Red Blood Cell-Based Drug-Delivery Platform for Improving Curcumin Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability via Reengineered Silica Nanoparticles"

Each finalist will receive a minimum $25,000 award, with a top award of $250,000.

Other Long Island finalists include:

• Thomas Lam, Syosset High School, Syosset: "The Number Rotation Puzzle"
• Ahmad Perez, Brentwood High School - Sonderling Center, Brentwood: "Assessing Marsh Degradation in Two Long Island Salt Marshes and a Method for Restoration"
• Justin Schiavo, Roslyn High School, Roslyn Heights: "The Effect of the Aerospike Nozzle on the Hybrid Rocket Engine"
• Madhav Subramanian, Jericho High School, Jericho: "ETM* is Indispensable to Endothelial Behaviour During Tumor Angiogenesis"

The finalists will now travel to Washington, D.C. to compete from March 7 through 13. Just by merit of being named finalists, each of the students will be awarded at least $25,000. The top 10 winners will receive awards ranging from $40,000 to the top prize of $250,000. That is in addition to the $2,000 each student received for being named a Scholar, which also included $2,000 for each of their schools.

"The Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists are our country's most promising young scientists, and I'm thrilled to congratulate them on this outstanding academic achievement," said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief scientific officer of Regeneron and a Science Talent Search winner in 1976. "I will never forget how participating in the Science Talent Search back when it was sponsored by Westinghouse changed my life and gave me the inspiration and confidence to pursue a career in science. I can only hope these amazing young scientists build on their success in this year's event and go on to use their scientific talents to address the many urgent challenges we face as a society, from climate change to disease."

Photo courtesy Regeneron.