Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory’s (CSHL’s) Ishana Chadha and Keita Takahashi have been named among the top high school scientists in the country. Each year, about 2,500 high school seniors compete in the Regeneron Science Talent Search. These teenagers represent the future of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Chadha, a volunteer intern in CSHL’s Van Aelst lab, is among the competition’s top 40 finalists. The top 40 scholars each receive $25,000 and go on to compete for a top prize of $250,000 in the competition’s final round. Chadha and her mentor in the Van Aelst lab, postdoc Francesco Boato, study how neurons migrate in the brain and settle in different layers of the cerebral cortex.
“It feels unreal,” said Chadha, a senior at Commack High School. “I’m really grateful to be part of a group of students who care so much about science. Conducting research at CSHL and seeing everything come together and the impact of my work was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.”
For Boato, the achievement came as little surprise. “You always want to keep it realistic with these things, but I had a feeling she would go far in the competition,” he says. “Ishana is a very motivated student, and that, honestly, can make all the difference. I’m very excited for her.”
Takahashi, a Partners for the Future (PFF) student in CSHL’s Jackson lab, earned a spot in the top 300. These scholars and their schools are awarded $2,000 each. He is the fifth PFF student to be named a Regeneron Scholar since 2021. Takahashi and his mentor, CSHL graduate student Matias Gleason, studied a protein called KN1 and related RNA, which play an essential role in healthy plant stem development.
“It was crazy hearing the announcement,” says Takahashi, a senior at Jericho High School. “This was my first time working in a professional lab, and the PFF program helped me connect with so many friendly people at CSHL. It’s really preparing me for the next level. It was an amazing experience.”
“I was really happy and proud when I heard the news,” Gleason adds. “It was a lot of fun preparing the project and working together with Keita. It was a great learning experience for both of us.”
Written by: Nick Wurm, Communications Specialist | wurm@cshl.edu | 516-367-5940