Fairfax County Seniors Compete In Prestigious Science Competition

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA—Three students will be representing Fairfax County Public Schools as finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search, a prestigious math and science competition.

The students are among 40 finalists from more than 1,800 entries. It's not surprising they all hail from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, often ranked the top STEM school in the nation.

The finalists and their projects are:

• Kavya Kopparapu, GlioVision: A Platform for the Automatic Assessment of Glioblastoma Tumor Features, Molecular Identity, and Gene Methylation from Histopathological Images Using Deep Learning
• Mihir Patel, Automating Limb Volume Measurements of Lymphedema Patients Through Computer Vision
• Franklyn Wang, Monodromy Groups of Indecomposable Rational Functions

From March 8-14, they will present their projects to judges in Washington, DC, meet with renowned scientists and compete for $1.8 million in awards. Every finalist will receive $25,000, while the top 10 are awarded up to a grand prize of $250,000.

The competition, held by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and the Society for Science & the Public, selects students "based upon their scientific research and also on their overall potential as future leaders of the scientific community." Science Talent Search alumni gone on to make substantial contributions to science and medical treatment and hold honors such as the Nobel Prize and the National Medal of Science. (For more local stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

"This year’s Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists are some of the best and brightest young scientists and mathematicians in our country," said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of Society for Science & the Public and publisher of "Science News." "Their projects demonstrate the remarkable power of scientific curiosity, commitment and the desire to make the world a better place. We are eager to see how they shape the future of STEM in our country and impact people all across the globe."

See all finalists and information about the competition here.

Top left image: Mihir Patel, bottom left: Franklyn Wang, right: Kavya Kopparapu. Images courtesy of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals/Society for Science & the Public