Esha Patlola of Whitehouse Station Selected for Research Program

Annandale, N.J. –Esha Patola of Whitehouse Station, N.J., was selected for Rutgers University’s Waksman Institute Summer Experience (WISE). Esha, a sophomore in the Biomedical Sciences Academy (BSA), which is run by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District (HCVSD), will join other high-achieving high school students for this two-week summer program to complete a research project in molecular biology and bioinformatics.

Each summer, WISE participants focus on the isolation, characterization and DNA sequence analyses of genes from the duckweed Landoltia punctata, and how these compare to those found in other species. Participants analyze the gene sequences using the same bioinformatics tools used by practicing scientists worldwide. They then submit their vetted DNA sequence analyses for publication on GenBank, the international repository of DNA sequences, which is maintained by the National Center for Biotechnology Education (NCBI). Each published sequence acknowledges the student responsible for it by name.

“Esha's acceptance into this program will give her a rewarding experience and an opportunity to work in a college laboratory under Rutgers University's faculty and researchers,” said Esha’s parents, Mamatha and Ravi Patlola. “This experience is going to advance her understanding of life sciences and health careers, and we are very excited to see how much she learns and grows throughout the program.”

Esha will follow in the footsteps of BSA junior Elizabeth Caso, who attended WISE last summer and published four of her sequences on GenBank. Both Elizabeth’s and Esha’s high grades in the academically rigorous BSA helped secure their spots in WISE. Both students were taught under direction of BSA instructor Donna Badgwell, Ph.D.

“The BSA has been very helpful in highlighting new opportunities for Esha to take part in,” Mamatha and Ravi Patlola continued. “Recently, she has participated in programs at the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab as well as a Women in Business conference at Harvard University, all thanks to the guidance that BSA provides.”

“Over the past year and a half, the BSA has played a significant role in nurturing my interest in healthcare,” Esha elaborated. “It has compelled me to branch out and find other programs like the Waksman Institute Summer Experience to further my learning. It has also helped prepare me for experiences like WISE, because I have already had exposure to certain subjects that may be introduced in higher-level experiences.”

HCVSD’s BSA is a fulltime, four-year vocational high school housed at North Hunterdon High School. It is designed for students with an aptitude for the high-growth biomedical sciences career field. Hands-on experiences include capstone projects that encourage students to explore biomedical innovations. Courses allow for students to investigate the roles of biomedical professionals as they study the concepts of human medicine, physiology, genetics, microbiology and public health. Partner institutions and organizations include Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC), Rutgers School of Health Professions (SHP) and Hunterdon Medical Center. BSA students can earn up to 19 college credits in health and medical courses from Rutgers SHP, and up to three credits from RVCC.

In addition to the Biomedical Sciences Academy, HCVSD operates two other full-time academies that focus on computer science and environmental science. The three academies are among five distinct schools offered by Hunterdon County Vocational School District to serve high school and adult students. The largest is Hunterdon County Polytech Career and Technical School, the district’s shared-time high school that prepares students for seamless transition to college and career paths. HCVSD also operates an Adult and Continuing Education school. Learn more at www.hcvsd.org.

All pupils will be given equal opportunity for enrollment in programs operated by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status (34 C.F.R. Part 100, Appendix B, Section IV-A). No qualified handicapped person shall, on the basis of handicap, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity which receives federal financial assistance, et seq (34 C.F.R. Part 104.4(a)(b).

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