In May, graduating seniors from the Advanced Science Research (ASR) held their annual ASR Poster Showcase. The ASR program is a highly esteemed additional class run by Mr. DeCaprio. Students apply in Form IV and, if accepted, find their own lab to mentor and assist scientists in their research over the next two years. ASR is a fantastic opportunity for students curious about science and STEM as the program allows participants to gain valuable laboratory and research skills. At the end of their work, students summarize their findings on a poster and present the research at the ASR Poster Showcase. This year, five seniors shared their findings and achieved impressive feats along with their labs.
Merhawi Ghebrelul researched rare genetic disorders in his poster Investigation of private homozygous SCN1A variant in a family with homozygous SCN9A-related pain insensitivity. Merhawi was also published in the scientific research journal Gene. Quinn Healey analyzed the genetic causes of Alzheimer’s disease research and specifically what genes make someone more susceptible to the disease in his poster Association of Alzheimer’s Disease Neuropathology and Risk Genes on Gene Expression. Alex Lo focused on future applications of machine learning in his poster Attention Based Multiple Instance Learning for Ischemic Stroke Etiology. Will Nolan researched ways to electronically monitor if a wind turbine is damaged in his poster Piezoelectric Energy Harvester’s Viability in Structural Health Monitoring Devices for Wind Turbines. Finally, Turner Rayment investigated different kinds of kidney cancers in his poster Using Tertiary Lymphoid Structures (TLSs) to Understand Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
Remarking on the success of the event, Mr. DeCaprio says, “it was a great night for the boys to display their work from the last two years. It’s really impressive what our students are able to do in these labs and exciting to see them really dive deep into their research and do so on such a high level.” After the event, Mr. DeCaprio shifted his focus to helping rising seniors as they continue their rigorous research internships over the summer. We can only wait to see the incredible research these aspiring scientists will engage in over the next year!
The ASR Program is just another amazing offer by Belmont Hill to students willing to go above and beyond in their interest in science. The Panel commends all the current ASR students for their hard work and wishes good luck to any future members!
