LWSD students head to regional and state science fairs, take home lots of trophies
Students from Lake Washington School District (LWSD) tallied more than 100 wins or top four finishes between two different science fairs in March. The first event, the Central Sound Regional Science and Engineering Fair (CSRSEF), was held at Mountlake Terrace High School on March 8. Nearly 40 trophies were handed out to LWSD students there. Later in the month, the Washington State Science and Engineering Fair (WSSEF) was held March 28 and 29 in Bremerton. There, LWSD students collected 69 first place trophies.
It wasn’t just the students who were taking home hardware at these events. Kate Allender, teacher at Tesla STEM High School, was awarded the CSRSEF Teacher of the Year Award and the Inspiring Excellence Teacher of the Year Award.
According to their website, the CSRSEF provides an opportunity for high school students in the Puget Sound region to showcase their interest in scientific research or engineering design. Students can also receive community recognition for their achievements and potentially advance to the partnered competitions at the state and international level.
The WSSEF works to create enthusiasm in science and technology while encouraging project-based inquiry. The WSSEF is also a chance for students to compete for college scholarships, awards and other exciting prizes.
Below is a list of winners from both competitions:
Central Sound Regional Science and Engineering Fair
Best of Fair
Grand Champion, International Science and Engineering Fair Finalist - Srishti Boral, Eastlake High School, “Design of Novel Small-Molecule Activators Targeting the AtlA Autolysin in Staphylococcus aureus: A Computational Approach to Combat Antibiotic Resistance Through Internal Cell Death Mechanisms”
Behavioral & Social Sciences, BEHA
Third Place - Isha Sudhir, Eastlake High School, “Simulating Group Therapy Dynamics with LLMs: A Novel Framework for Therapist Training, Client Simulation, and Interaction Modeling
Fourth Place - Aditri Sanghubhatla, Tesla STEM High School, “The Impact of Wave Frequencies and Tactile Stimulation on Memory Performance in Stressed Teenage Students”
Biomedical Science & Engineering, TMED, ENBM
First Place - Omkar Phadnis, Redmond High School, “A Unified Transcriptomic Melanoma Reference Map for Biological Insight and Prognostic Prediction”
Second Place - Aanchal Batwara, Tesla STEM High School, “A Machine Learning-Driven, Voice & Vision Controlled 3D-Printed Transhumeral Prosthesis: A Low-Cost Solution Powered by Raspberry Pi”
Third Place - Joseph Wang, Tesla STEM High School, “Development of a Low-Cost, EMG-Guided Prosthetic Arm for Accessible Myoelectric Control”
Life Sciences, ANIM, PLNT, BMED
First Place - Navneeth Badhri, Redmond High School, “In Silico Simulation of Aptamer-Tau Interactions for Alzheimer's Disease Therapy”
Third Place - Kunrong Wang, Tesla STEM High School, “Developing a High-Efficiency Device to Induce Traumatic Brain Injury in Larval Zebrafish”
Fourth Place - Daniel Zhou, Tesla STEM High School, “Association study of single nucleotide polymorphisms in X chromosome inactivation escape genes with susceptibility to autoimmune diseases in female populations”
Micro/Molecular Biological Science, CELL, BCHM, MCRO
First Place - Srishti Boral, Eastlake High School, “Design of Novel Small-Molecule Activators Targeting the AtlA Autolysin in Staphylococcus aureus: A Computational Approach to Combat Antibiotic Resistance Through Internal Cell Death Mechanisms”
Second Place - Geethika Burugupally, Lake Washington High School, “Elucidating the Effects of LDL Receptors and NOS on Single Cell Wound Repair: An In Vivo Analysis Utilizing Drosophila Embryos”
Third Place - Shivani Venkatesh, Juanita High School, “ImmunoCAR Architect: In Silico CAR-T Cell Designs for Targeted Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy”
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, CBIO
Second Place - Lahari Nellore, Lake Washington High School, “Targeting PINK1 to Enhance Mitophagy for Parkinson's Disease”
Third Place - Keerthi Rajesh, Tesla STEM High School, “Identification and Validation of Potential Biomarkers and Pathways for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis using In Silico Methods”
Fourth Place - Abbas Shakir, Tesla STEM High School, “Synthesizing Novel CD40xCD137 Bispecific Antibodies for B-Cell Malignancies and Solid Tumors”
Environmental Science & Engineering, EAEV, ENEV
Third Place - Saranya Voruganti, Tesla STEM High School, “Investigating the Adsorption Capabilities of Human Hair for Mitigating Carbamazepine Pollution”
Chemistry, Materials Science & Energy, EGSD, MATS, CHEM
First Place - Akshara Srinivas, Eastlake High School, “HAMMER: Hammerhead Adaptations Mimicked for Maximizing Energy Retrieval”
Second Place - Madeleine Vanderheiden, Tesla STEM High School, “Applicability of diazirine-based dynamic crosslinking for long-term plastics recycling”
Robotics and Emerging Technology, ROBO, TECA
Second Place - Ishan Jain, Eastlake High School, “Hybrid Capacitive-Camera Eye Tracker for Enhanced Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Diseases at Affordable Costs”
Third Place - Sarah Youn and Aditi Kandiah, Tesla STEM High School, “Classification of ADHD through machine learning models in children using traditional statistical and CNN based feature extraction of raw EEG data”
Embedded Systems and Software, EBED, SOFT
First Place - Enzo Van Thorre, Tesla STEM High School, “Tracing the Source: Identifying AI-Generated Code and Its Origins Using AST-Based Techniques”
Fourth Place - Ryan Chhabra, Tesla STEM High School, “A novel communication protocol for real-time vehicle synchronization and safer adaptive cruise control”
Special Awards
Association for Women Geoscientists
Kavana Inamdar, Tesla STEM High School, “Identifying Impact of Fishing Activity on Coral Bleaching using Remote Sensing Data”
Inspiring Excellence Awards
Nidhi Dodiya, Eastlake High School, “Planetary migration: redefining the habitable zone in red dwarf systems”
Adhrith Vutukuri, Tesla STEM High School, “RADAR – Radiology Assistant for Detecting Abnormalities and Rechecks: A Novel AIbased Radiology Companion System for Identifying and Correcting Visual Misses in Chest X-Ray Scans”
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Rishika Pachava, Eastlake High School, “A comparative analysis of phytoplankton blooms near two hydrothermal vent fields”
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Sathkrith Segu, Tesla STEM High School, “Scorching Summers: The Link Between Heatwaves and Apis mellifera Mortality”
Regeneron
Navneeth Badhri, Redmond High School, “In Silico Simulation of Aptamer-Tau Interactions for Alzheimer's Disease Therapy”
Ricoh
Akshara Srinivas, Eastlake High School, “HAMMER: Hammerhead Adaptations Mimicked for Maximizing Energy Retrieval”
US Agency for International Development
Ishan Jain, Redmond High School, "Hybrid Capacitive-Camera Eye Tracker for Enhanced Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Diseases at Affordable Costs"
US Air Force
Shreeyaa Muhunthan, Tesla STEM High School, “Beta Brain Wave Activity in the Frontal Lobe of Musicians: An EEG Study”
Alexander Helfman, Tesla STEM High School, “An Evaluation of Hypomethylation within primary prostate cancer”
Varshini Hari, Tesla STEM High School, “American Sign Language to Speech Conversion Model Using Machine Learning Techniques”
Adhrith Vutukuri, Tesla STEM High School, “RADAR – Radiology Assistant for Detecting Abnormalities and Rechecks: A Novel AIbased Radiology Companion System for Identifying and Correcting Visual Misses in Chest X-Ray Scans”
Ishaan Kothari, Tesla STEM High School, “Optimizing Holonomic Robot Pathing through Parametric Curve Analysis”
Office of Naval Research
Mahee Chandrasekhar, Redmond High School, “Monte Carlo Simulations for understanding energy spectrum in atmospheric neutrinos and galactic plane Neutrinos”
SPEEA
Aadesh Kumar, Eastlake High School, “Phoenix H2: Improving Commercial Viability of Sustainable Aviation by Developing and Flight Testing a Clean Aircraft with Onboard Hydrogen Generation”
Stockholm Junior Water Prize
Rudra Malatpure, Tesla STEM High School, “Comparing Bacterial Efficiency in Microbial Fuel Cells for Dairy Wastewater Treatment”
Society of Women Engineers
Sanskriti Sinha, Tesla STEM High School, “Optimizing Coastal Defense: A Machine Learning solution for erosion control and sea level rise adaptation”
CSRSEF Teacher of the Year Award
Kate Allender, Tesla STEM High School
Inspiring Excellence Teacher of the Year Award
Kate Allender, Tesla STEM High School
Washington State Science and Engineering Fair
*all of the following students were awarded enough points for a first place trophy
Lake Washington High School
Lahari Nellore - Targeting PINK1 to Enhance Mitophagy for Parkinson’s Disease
Redmond High School
Navneeth Badhri - In Silico Simulation of Aptamer-Tau Interactions for Alzheimer’s Disease Therapy
Mahee Chandrasekhar - Monte Carlo Simulations for understanding energy spectrum in atmospheric neutrinos and galactic plane Neutrinos
Sirjana Kaur - Mood Compass: A Personalized Approach to Mental Health
Dhruv Mehrotra - Precision Measurements of Binary Star Orbits: A Speckle Interferometry Approach to Stellar Dynamics
Omkar Phadnis - A Unified Transcriptomic Melanoma Reference Map for Biological Insight and Prognostic Prediction
Arushi Prashil - Identifying the Impact of Riparian Zone Quality on Macroinvertebrate Biodiversity Using A Linear Regression Model
Anshul Raghav - LLM-based Code Generation for Verilog
Lavanya Sharma - Enhancing Efficiency and Specialization in Kidney Tissue Bioengineering via hiPSC Differentiation
Juanita High School
Aadarsh Rao - Empowering the Visually Impaired Through Machine Learning Powered Assistive Glasses
Shivani Venkatesh - ImmunoCAR Architect: In Silico CAR-T Cell Designs for Targeted Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy
Tesla STEM High School
Aanchal Batwara - A Machine Learning-Driven, Voice & Vision Controlled 3D-Printed Transhumeral Prosthesis: A Low-Cost Solution Powered by Raspberry Pi
Ryan Chhabra - A novel communication protocol for real-time vehicle synchronization and safer adaptive cruise control
Basudha Ghose - Antibacterial Activity of Stinging Nettle, Devil’s Club, and Oregon Grape against Escherichia Coli and Bacillus Cereus
Sachita Ghosh - Predicting Diabetes Using Machine Learning Algorithm with EEG Data
Alexander Helfman - An Evaluation of Hypomethylation within primary prostate cancer
Vaidehi Hinduja - Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals and Carcinogenesis in Mammary Tissue: Analyzing Environmental Contributions to Breast Carcinoma Risk
Kaya Hurmali - Wireless, affordable, and durable otoacoustic measurement device for hearing screening
Kavana Inamdar - Identifying Impact of Fishing Activity on Coral Bleaching using Remote Sensing Data
Aditi Kandiah - Classification of ADHD through machine learning models in children using traditional statistical and CNN based feature extraction of raw EEG data
Shriya Kapila - NanoDesigner – An AI-Driven Design of Blood Brain Barrier-Penetrating Nanobodies for Neurodegenerative Diseases
Ishaan Kothari - A Novel Approach to Autonomous Pathing for Holonomic Robots via a Parametric Curve Algorithm
Shriya Krishnan - Using Behavioral Methods to measure the effects of Joint Attention learning in male and female infants with a familial history of autism
Prisha Kudikala - Music and Memory: The Effect of Music on your Short-Term Memory
Aravindh Kumar - The Effect of Low and High Frequency Sounds on Mental Cognition in Adults
Xintian Li - Investigating the Effects of Scent on Self Perceived Confidence and Personality
Eeshan Misra - A Green Clean: Analyzing Plant Biology in Phytoremediation of Acetaminophen from Wastewater Using Water Hyacinth, Duckweed, and Biochar
Shreeyaa Muhunthan - Beta Brain Wave Activity in the Frontal Lobe of Musicians: An EEG Study
Akchara Mukunthu Deepak Babu - Structural Analysis of the Giardia intestinalis 20S Proteasome β5 Subunit and Drug Repurposing for Giardiasis
Mehuli Nath - Expanding Accessibility: Improving Speech Recognition for Neurological and Motor Speech Disorders
Suvan Pal - A Generative Approach to Designing Novel Materials for Solid-State Electrolytes
Dhaani Pohuja - Investigating the Impact of Mental Fatigue on Male Teenagers compared to Female Teenagers
Lea Prunk - Investigating the Impact of Self-Directed Learning on Adolescent Motivation According to Self-Determination Theory
Rewa Rathee - Morning vs. Evening: Cognitive Training Techniques for Enhanced Memory Retention
Aditri Sanghubhatla - The Impact of Wave Frequencies and Tactile Stimulation on Memory Performance in Stressed Teenage Students
Aadithya Sarvajith - Designing a Polymeric Heart Valve: Analyzing the Role of Chitosan, Polylactic Acid, and Polyethylene Blends in Enhancing Tensile Strength and Flexibility
Sree Sarvepalli - Investigating the effect of PET microplastics on the heat-shock response of aquatic cyanobacteria
Sathkrith Segu - Scorching Summers: The Link Between Heatwaves and Apis mellifera Mortality
Abbas Shakir - Synthesizing Novel CD40xCD137 Bispecific Antibodies for B-Cell Malignancies and Solid Tumors
Thea Sima - A Diffusion-Based Approach to Restoring Ancient Oracle Bone Characters
Sanskriti Sinha - CoRA: Machine Learning for Coastal Risk Assessment and Defense Optimization
Shreyansi Swain - Identifying the Genetic Association of Cervical Cancer and Insulin Resistance Using Single Sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis
Enzo Van Thorre - Tracing the Source: Identifying AI-Generated Code and Its Origins Using AST-Based Techniques
Madeleine Vanderheiden - Applicability of diazirine-based dynamic crosslinking for long-term plastics recycling
Adhrith Vutukuri - RADAR – Radiology Assistant for Detecting Abnormalities and Rechecks: A Novel AI-based Radiology Companion System for Identifying and Correcting Visual Misses in Chest X-Ray Scans
Joseph Wang - Development of a Low-Cost, EMG-Guided Prosthetic Arm for Accessible Myoelectric Control
Kunrong Wang - Developing a High-Efficiency Device to Induce Traumatic Brain Injury in Larval Zebrafish
Sarah Youn - Classification of ADHD through machine learning models in children using traditional statistical and CNN based feature extraction of raw EEG data
Daniel Zhou - Association study of single nucleotide polymorphisms in X chromosome inactivation escape genes with susceptibility to autoimmune diseases in female populations
Eastlake High School
Ananya Akurathi - Air Quality Index & Socio-economic Data’s Impact on Asthma Rates
Krishna Arun - Utilizing Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning with Encoder-Decoder Architecture Agents to Identify Optimal Resection Location in GBM Patients
Nidhi Dodiya - Planetary migration: redefining the habitable zone in red dwarf systems
Ishan Jain - A Cost-Effective Hybrid Capacitive-Camera Eye Tracker for Diagnosing Neurodegenerative Diseases
Ved Kasbekar - EEG-Based Neural Wave Detection in a Brain-Computer Interface for Real-Time Pain Modulation and Controlled Analgesic Administration
Aadesh Kumar - Phoenix H2: Improving Commercial Viability of Sustainable Aviation by Developing and Flight Testing a Clean Aircraft with Onboard Hydrogen Generation
Aavid Mathrawala - EEG-Based Neural Wave Detection in a Brain-Computer Interface for Real-Time Pain Modulation and Controlled Analgesic Administration
Aayaan Raula - Genetic Basis to High Blood Pressure: Analyzing Association between NOS3 Polymorphisms and Essential Hypertension
Akshith Sama - Epilepsy Glasses
Srivatsa Sistla - EEG-Based Neural Wave Detection in a Brain-Computer Interface for Real-Time Pain Modulation and Controlled Analgesic Administration
Akshara Srinivas - Improving vertical axis wind turbine efficiency by integrating hammerhead shark hydrodynamic features into the NACA 0015 blade design
Sanjay Srinivasan - DeepScope: A Novel Approach for Testing Water Safety Using Deep Learning Inference of Microscopic Images of Uncultured Water Samples
Isha Sudhir - The Cognitive Playground: A Novel Approach to Simulating Group Therapy Dynamics with LLMs for Therapist Training, Client Simulation, and Interaction Modeling
Neel Tiku - Trade-off Calculator for HVAC vs Heat Pump Systems for Households
Shrivas Vanimireddy - Epilepsy Glasses
Arnav Vishwakarma - Exploring the Use of Polyisoprenylated Benzophenones in Enhancing Efficacy of β-Lactam Antibiotics through Molecular Docking in AutoDock Vina
Lakshya Wahi - Inventing an affordable and reliable platooning system to enhance the energy efficiency in autonomous vehicles
Siddharth Yenamandra - Identification of Novel Amyloid-Beta Inhibitors for Alzheimer’s Disease