Central Bucks Students Earn Top Science Honors, Advance To International Competition

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Five Central Bucks School District students have earned top honors at the Delaware Valley Science Fair (DVSF) held from March 31 to April 2 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, qualifying them for the prestigious Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) to be held May 11–15 in Phoenix, Arizona.

A Tamanend Middle School student also performed well at DVSF, earning an invitation to compete in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge.

Top Honors and ISEF Qualifiers

Shreejith Krishnamoorthy, a CB South senior, earned a gold medal and his work earned recognition as the top senior project in the region. His research focused on developing a potential targeted therapy for a rare genetic disorder, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), by engineering a biomolecule designed to address specific gene mutations.

Snayhin Sharma, a CB East sophomore, earned a gold medal and his work earned recognition as the top sophomore project in the region. His research introduces a new quantum computing method that could dramatically accelerate complex scientific calculations used in fields like medicine and climate science.

Athena Man, a CB East senior, earned a silver medal for her work exploring a targeted cancer therapy using a compound derived from turmeric. Her research aims to improve cancer treatment by reducing damage to healthy cells.

Abhiram Kaakarla, a CB South junior, earned a bronze medal for developing a novel protein-based approach to improve cellular signaling in patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.

Aaditya Kambli, a CB South sophomore, earned a bronze medal for designing an advanced artificial intelligence system to improve the responsiveness and control of prosthetic limbs, potentially making them feel more natural for users.

All five students received all-expenses-paid trips to compete at ISEF, widely regarded as the world’s premier science research competition for high school students.

Middle School Recognition

In addition, Anisha Cheruvu, an eighth-grade student at Tamanend Middle School, earned a silver medal at DVSF and was invited to compete in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, the nation’s most prestigious middle school science competition. Her project explored an artificial intelligence system designed to provide emotionally aware support for adolescents.

Anisha Cheruvu, an eighth-grade student at Tamanend Middle School, earned a silver medal at DVSF and was invited to compete in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge.

Program Impact

Three of the award-winning projects were developed through the school district’s Biotech Partnership Program in collaboration with the PA Biotech Center (PABC), where students work alongside professional researchers to tackle real-world scientific challenges.

Dr. Scott Willett, professor and director of academic affairs at PABC, served as mentor for the projects. And Judith Elinow, Erika Gamble, Jaclyn McDowell, and Michelle Rhodes served as CBSD adult sponsors for the winning projects.

"This year, five of the 12 students representing the greater Philadelphia region at ISEF will be from CBSD," said Hayden, who also serves as the district's coordinator of biotech programs/STEM partnerships. "This is a great example of exciting things that are happening around authentic instruction in STEM in our district."

Collectively, the students’ work spans critical areas including genetic disorders, cancer treatment, artificial intelligence, prosthetics, and quantum computing.

Looking Ahead

As they prepare to represent Central Bucks on the international stage, these students join a select group of young scientists from around the world, showcasing innovative solutions to some of today’s most pressing challenges.