NRHS: Record Number Of Finalists To Regeneron ISEF Competition

NEW ROCHELLE, NY —New Rochelle High School will send three students to compete in the prestigious Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). This is the first time in the school’s history three students have qualified in the same year.

The three juniors enrolled in the school’s Science Research Program earned their spots in the international competition by taking home first place in their categories in the Westchester Science and Engineering Fair (WESEF). Isabelle Balachandran, Amanda Cao and Natalia McMorris will now compete in the ISEF scheduled to take place in May. The trio of first place qualifiers were among 25 other New Rochelle High School students who won no less than 31 awards at the countywide event.

“This is an incredible achievement,” NRHS teacher and head of the Science Research Program, Jeff Wuebber said. “ISEF is the Olympics of high school science. It draws the best of the best from all over the world. Only 1,800 kids from the planet get to do this.”

Because the ISEF takes place on a global stage, judging will be conducted via video conference rather than at a grand venue. Presentations will take place from May 3-6. The winners will be honored during a virtual awards ceremony held May 16-21. The competition is put on each year by the Society for Science.

Although a ticket to the ISEF won’t mean leaving home, the especially bright prize winners are thrilled to be part of the international event. Each credits the school’s Science Research Program with helping them to achieve this dream.

“I’ve seen all the work that goes into it and all the work that Mr. Wuebber puts into us,” McMorris said. “Everyone is willing to put in that time to see the results. I am happy every single day that I am in such an amazing program.”

The Science Research Program at NRHS, which pairs students with mentors and encourages students to explore independent science projects, has recently started to pay huge dividends. Although this is the first year students from the program qualified for the ISEF, the program, its students and their projects have garnered national and international recognition.

SEE: Bee Plus: NRHS Senior’s Research Creating A Buzz

The three prize-winning projects involved cancer research, a study on COVID-era stress and a project looking at the different perceptions of men and women when it comes to health care. McMorris won first place in the behavioral science category for her research which found identifiable predictors of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a coronavirus-impacted world.

“Maybe we can get to the point where we can avoid PTSD from developing in its entirety,” McMorris said. “If we can find these individuals sooner, then we can treat them early on.”
Meanwhile, NRHS junior Amanda Cao, who also won first place in the behavioral science category discovered patients’ online reviews of physicians showed a clear gender bias. She surveyed more than 3,000 data points to arrive at the conclusion.

“In terms of the content, such as the physician’s ability to answer questions, and the skill-based categories, there was no difference,” Cao explained.

Isabelle Balachandran’s project helped to identify specific types of cancer that might respond well to an alternative medical treatment not involving chemotherapy and radiation. The Medicine and Health category-winning project analyzed three types of cancer in which the cancerous tissue showed high levels of a protein which is effectively treated by the less invasive medical intervention.

“I’m just grateful,” Balachandran said of advancing to the international competition. “I’m really excited to continue my research with the other two amazing students that I am moving on with.”