Hudson Valley Student Among Regeneron Scholar Finalists

CHAPPAQUA, NY — One Hudson Valley resident has been named a finalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2020. She is among 40 chosen from 300 students, including 34 Hudson Valley seniors, who were named Scholars (or semifinalists) in January.

Holly Cheng, 18, is a student at Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua. Her project title: Modulating Fetal Globin Levels Using CRISPR/Cas9 in an in vitro Mouse Cellular System.

She is among 40 finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2020, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. Based on their projects’ scientific rigor and their potential to become world-changing scientists and leaders, 1,993 highly qualified entrants entered the 2020 competition, officials said.

Each finalist is awarded at least $25,000, and the top 10 awards range from $40,000 to $250,000.

Cheng performed her research with Dr. Suzanne Hartford at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals as part of their High School Mentorship Program. The Chappaqua school district shared a recent Q&A with her:

How/why did you choose your research topic?

Sickle cell disease is a textbook example of a genetic disorder. In my freshman biology class, I watched a documentary about a young girl who was unable to play because she had this disease. After obtaining an opportunity to work on finding a treatment, I was compelled to work harder for the children who cannot reach their full potential, and for the communities in which the birth of a child is a cause of fearful anticipation instead of joyous celebration.

Please explain your research. . . in a few sentences.

Sickle cell disease is caused by defective hemoglobin. We can treat this disease by increasing the expression of functional hemoglobin to replace the defective hemoglobin. My project aims to increase functional hemoglobin by removing specific regions on the mouse genome using CRISPR/Cas9.

What do you enjoy most about the Science Research class?

I’ve learned a lot of incredible things from my classmates. For example, on the first day of class, I walked in on a debate about the different Cas proteins, which acquainted me with the world of gene editing. The teachers are super supportive and make science research one of the best classes at Greeley.

What else - clubs, organizations, teams and activities - are you involved in at Greeley?

I am part of the Science Olympiad team, Student Teacher Admin Council (Student Govt.), Chamber Orchestra, Cross Country, and Spring Track & Field.

Your plans for life after Greeley?

I plan to go to college, explore biology and other fascinating disciplines, and continue to do research.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

A biologist! I want to help decipher the endlessly complex rules of nature.

The finalists will travel to Washington, D.C. from March 5-11, where they will undergo a rigorous judging process and compete for more than $1.8 million in awards. They will also have an opportunity to interact with leading scientists, meet with Members of Congress and display their projects to the public on March 8.

The top 10 Regeneron Science Talent Search 2020 awards will be announced at a black-tie gala awards ceremony at the National Building Museum on March 10.