Advanced Science Research

Daniel a.

Project title: X-ray Polarization of the Reflection Spectrum with IXPE Data from Cygnus X-1  

Abstract: Black holes are extremely massive objects that are some of the strangest known things in the universe. Black holes have disks of hot gas around them that emit light. There is also a cloud of hotter material near the black hole called the corona that energizes some of the light from the accretion disk. We don’t know the exact shape of this corona and where exactly it is located in relation to the black hole and the accretion disk. 

I attempted to help reveal some of this by using data from a telescope that can measure the polarization of X-rays from black holes.  Polarization describes the direction in which a light wave oscillates. By fitting the polarization data with new models we can account for the shape of the corona. Prior research found that the corona is horizontally extended in the disk’s plane, but it did not account for the contribution to the polarization made by some of the light that is reflected off the disk after being energized in the corona. My project accounts for this using a new model called kynstokes and finds that the corona is still likely extended horizontally. 

Mila a.

Project title: The Disproportionate Effect of the Covid-19 Lockdown on Girls Math Education and Implications for the Gender Gap in Mathematics Careers  

Abstract: Previous research has shown that there is a significant gender gap in higher mathematics degrees and mathematics-based careers, meaning it is still a male-dominated field. Research has also found that high school math grades indicate whether or not a student will pursue a math career, and that the COVID-19 lockdown negatively affected math education in the United States. The impact of the lockdown on female vs male students has not been seriously studied, so we do not know if it has worsened the gender gap in test scores. If the gender gap did get worse, this might affect the gender gap in math careers when this generation reaches college and post-grad stages. 

I analyzed math test scores of 8th graders separated by gender from before and after the lockdown to see if it impacted the gender gap. I found that the lockdown affected the gender gap in mathematics scores when analyzing both average test scores and high-scoring individuals, who are more likely to pursue a career in mathematics. If this increase in the gender gap persists, there may be a need for future educational interventions, which should be explored in future research.  

Sophie e.

Project title: Inner Speech Classification for EEG Brain-Computer Interface: A Comparison of Feature Extraction Techniques 

Abstract: I often exaggerate that I have gained the ability to read minds. In reality, I conducted research on brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which allow people with severe disabilities to control and communicate with their external environments. 

My project focuses on improving non-invasive, natural BCIs. Therefore, I used a publicly accessible dataset consisting of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals recorded using electrodes on a cap, with inner speech (IS) trials. Each IS trial consists of people thinking the words “up,” “down,” “left,” or “right” in Spanish, which I attempted to differentiate between using machine learning. Because EEG can be highly affected by noise (e.g. eye blinks), and IS, while most natural, is hard to differentiate between as language processing is extremely complex, I focused on extracting features or patterns that help discriminate between signals. 

I applied a novel combination of feature extraction techniques on this dataset, and reached an accuracy of 34% (9% above chance level), using only 1.1 seconds of recorded EEG data. Therefore, while my results were not the most accurate in the literature, my methods were still legitimate, as they were the most efficient. I also set a baseline information transfer rate (ITR), which has not yet been measured in IS-EEG-BCIs, but provides a standard quantification of the speed and accuracy of a BCI in real time.

ilan e.

Project title: Site-specific Incorporation of Methylarginine Into Proteins Using a Mutant Leucyl-tRNA Synthetase

Abstract: I am developing a novel method of producing synthetic proteins with a structural modification called arginine methylation. Arginine methylation is significant because its dysregulation can lead to the development of cancer. Obtaining proteins with a certain degree of arginine methylation in specific places is currently impossible inside living cells, but I aim to change that. My method will modify the protein synthesis process by utilizing a novel tRNA-synthetase protein I created based on computational predictions, which would allow the cell to add methylarginine into proteins when it normally would be unable to do so.

To create designs for the novel protein, I used an AI-based protein prediction software developed by Google called AlphaFold. I based the structures of the new proteins on existing proteins that interact with methylarginine. 

Using this software, I created 2 possible designs for candidate proteins. My work aims to help scientists develop treatments for cancer and investigate arginine methylation by allowing them to acquire proteins for research more easily.

Dylan f.

Project title: TREM2-Fc’s impact on tau in 4R tau h-iPSC neuronal model of Alzheimer’s Disease

Abstract: In the brain, Alzheimer's Disease disrupts processes vital to neurons, including communication, and metabolism, causing neuronal death. Alzheimer’s Disease is closely associated with tau, a protein regulating neurons from within, which accumulates to form tangles in AD, blocking neurons from performing their functions. Microglia, immune cells in the brain, function due to their receptors: triggering receptors on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2). Soluble TREM2 (sTREM2), a fragment of TREM2, plays an important role in regulating microglial function and can bind to receptors on neurons and influence tau levels, which has been studied in mouse models and humans.

I wondered what the relationship is between different concentrations of sTREM2 and tau in the novel 4R tau human-induced pluripotent stem cell model.  This model is unique in that is it derived from human stem cells that are genetically reprogrammed to act like human neurons. Tau aggregates are then induced in the model in both isoforms, or versions, to create a more accurate model of the human AD brain. 

I worked the 4R tau h-iPSC model and induced increased sTREM2 in my first culture and less sTREM2 in my second (20nM and 2nM). I also included two models with different timepoints of introducing sTREM2: in Model 1, sTREM2 was added 2 weeks post-induction of tau seed. For Model 2, sTREM2 was added simultaneous to the tau seed. Then, I compared the levels of tau in for each experimental group and the controls using immunofluorescence staining and Western Blot. These two methodologies detect aggregated tau.

I found that in general, the addition of sTREM2 decreased aggregated tau levels in Model 1 but not Model 2, especially in the cultures with more sTREM2 (20nM). This shows a time effect in that sTREM2 might reduce already-aggregated tau and have less of an effect on tau seeds as they are forming aggregates. This study is significant because it supports past studies using different models and reveals sTREM2 as a therapy target to alter tau inside AD neurons. This novel model is the only platform where the pathological aggregation of tau in a dish can be created, so it adds a new human-based piece of data to our knowledge of the relationship between sTREM2 and tau aggregation.

sofia g.

Project title: Age-Related Differences in Susceptibility to Visual and Auditory Stimuli in Students from 3rd to 12th Grade

Abstract: Schizophrenia is an acute mental illness that is characterized in part by visual, as well as auditory hallucinations, which can be extremely debilitating to the individual depending on the severity of the diagnosis. Schizophrenia’s symptoms are categorized into two main types. The first are positive symptoms, which include hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. The second is negative symptoms, which involve diminished emotional expression, social withdrawal, and a lack of motivation or pleasure in everyday activities. This illness affects approximately 24 million individuals worldwide, and 2.8 million adults in the United States. 

While these hallucinations have been vastly studied in patients with schizophrenia, there is a knowledge gap regarding the underlying perceptual processes that are less understood, especially how these processes differ from those in healthy individuals. For example, visual and auditory pathways are crucial for accurate emotion recognition in healthy development. These skills are essential for social interaction and are typically robust by adolescence. Past research has shown that deficits in auditory emotion recognition, and facial emotion perception are both core features of schizophrenia, as well as key components of social cognitive impairment. These deficits in emotion recognition could also be translated to poor ability to recognize tonal or prosodic features of speech that convey emotion. This would include changes in base pitch and pitch variability. 

To understand this issue, I studied how visual and auditory processes develop in healthy children and adolescents, and this became the baseline that helped me understand the differences between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Furthermore, this helped me understand how visual and auditory pathways develop in patients with schizophrenia and differ from healthy development, leading to hallucinations or psychosis later on in development. 

Max s.

Project title: Developing RNA-Targeting Tools to Dissect the Function of lncRNA ANRIL

Abstract: Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the world, so it is important to combat it. While some kinds of heart disease are preventable, genetic heart disease is not. Researchers found that ANRIL is a gene that causes up to 15% of all of this genetic heart disease. ANRIL comes in two forms, long and short with the short form being connected to heart disease. Previously the DNA that codes for it has been destroyed, which prevents heart disease, but in a real person this is not possible. 

In this study I targetted the RNA for ANRIL, which in the past has been possible to suppress in a real human. I did this in human kidney cells, in order to determine if it is possible at all to suppress ANRIL. I made genetic code to help my Antisense Oligonucleotides (a method of finding and destroying RNA) locate the ANRIL, after this I transfected the ASOs into the HEK293T cells with ANRIL being expressed. I found that it is possible to knockdown the short ANRIL RNA, which is relevant because now I can move towards targetting ANRIL in heart cells where it is needed most.

jada s.

Project title: Using a DCNN model with different parameters and an LSTM layer to select attention in a multi-speaker scenario

Abstract: Humans have the incredible ability to focus on one speaker in a crowded setting with multiple speakers, such as a cocktail party. However, people who are hearing-impaired cannot perform this task, even with hearing devices. This is called the cocktail party problem. Recent studies have attempted to solve this problem by using neural network models. These models would process the speech envelopes of the speakers in the environment and the EEG of the listener to then compare them and identify the attended speaker by the speech envelope that corresponds with the EEG. 

I aimed to increase the accuracy of the dilated convolutional neural network (DCNN) model from Accou et al. (2021), and understand how parameters affected the model performance. In my study, I used the DCNN model from Accou et al. (2021) and my proposed model of the DCNN model with a long-short term memory (LSTM) layer. 

I found that there was a positive correlation between the window length and accuracy, meanwhile, there was a negative correlation between the number of mismatches and accuracy. Further research can be done on the models and on other ways to increase the accuracy. The DCNN-LSTM model can be tested with different parameters such as more LSTM layers to see the performance capabilities of this model. Improvements and different changes to the model architecture can increase the accuracy of the model with multiple mismatches. Through further development of the neural network models, there can be a hearing device that solves the cocktail party problem.  

2025 Virtual Symposium

"At the beginning of high school, I knew I wanted to do STEM in the future, but I had no idea what it would be really like, and I didn't know what field I wanted to pursue. With ASR, I got the chance to actually see what STEM would be like in the real world, and I really loved it! The work I did in ASR was the most meaningful work I did in high school since I got to focus on what I was really interested in, and it gave me a lot of research skills that I utilize now in college for both research and classes."

Alex Lyons '21

"ASR is just as much about training you how to think and study as about how to be a scientist. Besides introducing you to the world of science and how it is done, ASR also continuously pushes you to improve yourself, to study and manage your time more efficiently. ASR is about learning how to tackle seemingly impossible challenges; it teaches you how to break them down into tangible and achievable pieces and work on them one at a time. Ultimately, ASR will leave you with a problem-solving approach that will stick with you even after you leave the program."

Yuqiao Zou '22

"ASR was a powerful influence on both Annika’s education and her life’s goals; the class provided a combination of timely, relevant knowledge on a topic that’s critical to society and can impact our future. The subject matter of the class had a game-changing effect, prompting her decision to make science the focus of her career. As parents, we highly recommend this class as we watched it build our daughter's character and confidence while broadening her understanding and perspective on current events."

Jon and Becky Spaet, parents of annika '23

"Although the School has many strong disciplines, ASR was by far the most beneficial experience our son [Alex] had at CGPS. Due in large part to the talented and dedicated faculty, the program literally changed the course of his young life. He learned how to best approach complex and long-term projects, developed self reliance and resilience, and discovered and pursued his intellectual passion. We couldn’t recommend this program more!"

Josefina and Gregory Lyons, parents of alex '21

"We are so grateful for Mr. Yashin and the ASR program.  It has been an incredible all around experience for our son that has also served to benefit him in all of his classes. We have seen a noticeable improvement in his communications and writing skills which has made him a confident presenter in and out of ASR.  Lastly, his interaction with both Mr. Yashin and his project mentor has been invaluable as he has been exposed to and learned things that he likely would not have been exposed to until college."

Jill and Jeff Libshutz, parents of lucas '23

"ASR is hard work, but it pays off in spades. We have seen tremendous growth in Arjun. In his research journey, he progressed from knowing very little about healthcare and struggling to understand journal articles to authoring a published paper on the subject. The structure of the program facilitates growth as it pairs individual responsibility with mentoring and support. He has learned to organize his time and pace his work to meet commitments. Research isn't always easy, and Arjun has faced his share of setbacks, but learning to cope with them is an important skill he has acquired, and this experience has made him resilient. In addition to the domain knowledge he has accumulated, the process of writing a lengthy review article and scientific paper and going through numerous revisions and presentations has led to a strong improvement in his writing and presentation skills. The close-knit community where the students help and support each other is a highlight of his experience and has reinforced in him that success is not an individual effort but a team sport. If you are curious about science and desire to make an impact, ASR provides an ideal platform to realize your ambitions.

Arjun had the opportunity to join other selective schools but was drawn by the unique opportunity at CGPS to conduct college-level scientific research on a topic of his choosing in the ASR program. We can confidently say that the mentorship and support that ASR provided enabled him to advance his research much further than he might have been able to at other schools. Judging by the remarkable growth in his skills, knowledge, and confidence in a relatively short time by being part of ASR, we feel that we made the right decision."

Roopali and Ushane Sharma, parents of arjun '23