2008 $5,000 Life Sciences Chemistry Student Award Columbus Scholar

Peter Kamel
Centennial High School
Ellicott City, Maryland

Peter Kamel is currently a junior at Centennial High School. Peter conducts after school research at the Johns Hopkins Hospital on a patent-pending artificial tissue material that changes color in response to an internal temperature influence. The change is a result of a cascade of chemical reactions that take place when the tissue is heated. Peter’s research findings are important, as doctors will be able to accurately profile tissue damage when treating cancer through a procedure known as heat ablation.

Peter looks forward to continuing his research during his remaining time in high school, entering college and eventually becoming a doctor.

2008 $5,000 Life Sciences Biology Student Award Columbus Scholar

Stori Jensen
Brighton High School
Salt Lake City, Utah

Stori Jensen is currently a senior at Brighton High School in Salt Lake City, UT. Stori conducted after school research under the supervision of Dr. Andres V. Maricq in the neurobiology laboratory at the University of Utah. During her research, Stori isolated and identified pharmacological agents found in the venom of cone snails which modulate the function of the brain. Stori discovered that the venom contains a complex molecule that targets a specific group of neurotransmitter receptors in the brain.

Stori’s research has identified molecules that can alter brain function and has led to a major discovery in brain function and the treatment of neurological disorders. This process has been patented – with Stori as an equal partner in the patent.

Stori will begin her undergraduate studies at the University of Utah this Fall.

2008 $10,000 Life Sciences Educator Award Columbus Scholar

Paul Cammer, Ph.D.
Director, Neurobiology Research Laboratory
Thomas Jefferson High School for
Science and Technology
Alexandria, Virginia

In 2007 Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) in Fairfax County, Virginia, was ranked as the number one school in the Nation by U.S. News and World Report. This distinction is due in large part, to the innovative teaching methods implemented by the faculty. Students at TJ are high-achievers, and the teachers must put forth special efforts to keep their students challenged. Dr. Cammer is one such educator. When Dr. Cammer was teaching freshmen, he required each of them to prepare a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation to the class as if the student were the research scientist at a conference of his or her peers. Many of these students have returned from college to tell Dr. Cammer that particular project was the “single most difficult yet most useful task they performed in high school.”

He now teaches mostly upperclassmen, who he continues to challenge far beyond what they think is possible. In addition to Advanced Placement Biology, Dr. Cammer teaches Senior Research in Neuroscience, as well as classes in Neurobiology, Physiology and the Arts, and Bionanotechnology at TJ.

Dr. Cammer received a B.A. in Biology at San Jose State University, and a M.S. in Biochemical Toxicology and Ph.D. in Biochemical Toxicology at Purdue University.

After a career in government and private industry, Dr. Cammer found his passion in teaching. He has been a teacher at TJ since 1996.

2008 $25,000 Chairmen's Distinguished Life Sciences Award

Christine E. Schmidt, Ph.D.
Laurence E. McMakin Professor of
Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin

Dr. Schmidt is conducting research in neural cell and tissue engineering, a subfield within bioengineering. Dr. Schmidt has invented a chemical process to modify human nerve tissue so it may be utilized for patients with nerve damage. In particular, she works on engineering advanced biomaterials and therapeutic devices to stimulate damaged peripheral and spinal neurons to regenerate and promote healing of damaged nerve tissue due to traumatic injuries, cancer and other diseases.

As one of her advocates stated, “Few engineers are working on the problem of neural regeneration (much of the research is strictly biological), and there are not other researchers utilizing a holistic approach to understand and stylize such a broad range of signals (electrical, chemical, biological, mechanical) for stimulating nerve regeneration.”

Currently, there is no adequate off-the-shelf option for nerve injuries suffered by over 10,000 people annually. One of Dr. Schmidt’s technologies was licensed to AxoGen Inc., which initiated clinical trials last year. To date, over 100 of AxoGen’s AVANCE nerve grafts have been successfully implanted into patients with peripheral nerve injuries. She is also developing other advanced biomaterials, based on hyaluronic acid nature biopolymers and synthetic electrically conducting polymers, for both peripheral and spinal cord nerve regeneration.

Dr. Schmidt is world-renown for her expertise and contributions in neural engineering. She is a frequent keynote speaker at international conferences and workshops and has written extensively on the subject in the highest quality of journals. She currently serves on the Editorial Boards for the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition, International Journal of Nanomedicine, and the Encyclopedia of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering.

Dr. Schmidt received a B.S. in chemical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin and a Ph.D. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She was an NIH postdoctoral research fellow with Dr. Robert Langer at MIT for 18 months, during which time she collaborated with surgeons at Harvard Medical School in the area of nerve regeneration.

2009 $5,000 Life Sciences Chemistry Student Award Columbus Scholar

Justin Grzyb
Senior
Westchester Country Day School
High Point North Carolina

Justin Grzyb is a Senior at Westchester Country Day School, a college preparatory school in North Carolina. Justin was introduced to science at a young age, as both his parents are engineers. When he had questions, they took the time to explain how things worked, which captured his imagination. Beginning in middle school, he took advanced math classes. In high school he gave up his elective period to take extra math and science classes.

During his freshman year, his dad took a job in Baltimore, so that summer Justin took a pre-calculus course at the Johns Hopkins University for Talented Youth. He ultimately met Professor Tim Weihs, who invited Justin to work in his lab at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins the following summer. That first summer he spent his time endlessly reading research papers and learning about technology surrounding NanoFoil, a reactive thin film composed of alternating, nano-scaled layers of Nickel and Aluminum. By the end of the summer, he was collecting data on his own and making a real contribution. The next summer he was given his own project—find a way to create uniform, curved particles of NanoFoil, and then measure the reaction velocity of these particles inside a vacuum. After a summer of trials and tribulations, he was successful. His work was acknowledged in two different research papers, and he is the co-inventor on a provisional patent for creating microscopic particles of NanoFoil.

In addition to his science endeavors, for the past three years Justin has been the president of the school debate team, and was a Senate campaign volunteer. With a friend he began MYPART, an organization to raise poverty awareness in the local community. For the past four years, he has participated in Chamber Singers at school and has taken voice lessons at High Point University. He also sings and plays rhythm guitar and ukulele in a local rock band, Tomahawk Child, with friends.

Upon high school graduation, Justin plans to attend Cornell University School of Engineering to pursue a degree in chemical engineering, and taking part in the Air Force ROTC program. He was recently nominated as a Rawlings Cornell Research Scholar, which will allow him to spend the next four years working on his own undergraduate research project.

2009 $5,000 Life Sciences Biology Student Award Columbus Scholar

Henry Zheng
Senior
Centennial High School
Elliot City, Maryland

Henry Zheng is a senior at Centennial High School of Howard County, Maryland. Since elementary school, he has enjoyed science and math. In high school, he developed a keen interest in applied mathematics for biological engineering, specifically with the functioning of artificial limbs and its integration with the human nervous system.

Since his sophomore year in high school, Henry has been an intern at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) under the supervision of Dr. Jeffery Lesho of the Biomedical Engineering Group, doing background research in the areas of brain computer interface (BCI) and prosthetics control, writing a survey paper, and making presentations. As a junior, Henry applied for the Intern/Mentor Program, which only accepts the most advanced and dedicated students.

While at APL, he worked on his computational neuroscience project that improves the performance of arm prosthesis. His research has garnered recognition at many competitions. He also published and presented his research results at the international FUSION 2008 conference in Cologne, Germany.

Henry entered his research in the Howard County Math, Science and Technology Fair and received a top award. He was a regional finalist in 2008-2009 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology as well as a semifinalist in Intel Science Talent Search.

The day before Henry received the Life Sciences Biology Student Award in Washington, he was presented with the American Academy of Neurology Foundation’s Neuroscience Prize in Seattle, Washington. This year Henry’s extraordinary work is being recognized from coast to coast.

Beyond his interest in science, Henry is also an accomplished classical pianist and has been recognized for his dedication to community service as a 2009 Coca-Cola Scholar.

2009 $10,000 Life Sciences Educator's Award Columbus Scholar

Beenu Gupta
Biology Teacher
The Charter School of Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware

Since 1996, Beenu Gupta has taught AP and Honors Biology at The Charter School of Wilmington in Delaware. The Charter School is a college preparatory high school with a focus on mathematics and science, and was ranked 41st in the 2008 issue of U.S. News and World Report America's Best High Schools. Mrs. Gupta’s classroom is like the “Disneyland of Biology,” complete with students singing and dancing as they dive into Molecular Biology.

Beenu is the director of the school’s annual Science Fair and head coach of the Science Olympiad, Envirothon, and Biology Competition teams. Last year, her team won first in the nation in the National Canon Envirothon. In 2008, one of her students was a National Gold Medal winner in the International Biology Olympiad. The Charter School has been State Champions in the Delaware Science Olympiad and Envirothon competition, and Beenu has brought home the Outstanding Coach Award since 2000.

Beenu is also the moderator for the Anti-Tobacco Club, the Habitat for Humanity Club, and the Unite for Sight Club. Her list of awards includes: The 2007 US Presidential Scholars Program Teacher Recognition Award, 2008 Governor's Youth Volunteer Service Award, the 2008 Educator of Distinction Award from the Coca-Cola Scholarship Foundation, and the 2008 Environmental Educator Award/Teacher of the Year from the Delaware Nature Society.

What inspired Beenu to become a teacher? "While debating how to finish my PhD, I took some courses at the University of Delaware and I was astonished to see the lack of concepts and knowledge that students had prior to entering college. I have always been passionate about learning and teaching so I decided to be a high school teacher, where I could provide a solid foundation for college-bound students. My goal has always been to make learning fun, valuable and a life-long experience."

Mrs. Gupta received her formal education and teaching certificate from the University of Delaware. After finishing a Masters in Zoology from India, Mrs. Gupta received a University fellowship grant to finish her Ph.D. in neuroscience.

2009 $25,000 Life Sciences Chairmen's Distinguished Award Columbus Scholar

Bryon E. Petersen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Dr. Bryon Petersen has been recognized worldwide as a foremost authority in hepatic stem cells and their role in Liver Pathobiology. He is currently conducting research in stem cell biology and how it relates to the patho-physiology of the liver. Dr. Petersen’s seminal paper in the journal Science (Science 284: 1168-1170) helped usher in the stem cell field as we know it today. This research showed that bone marrow derived cells could become functioning hepatocytes, and several clinical trials have been attempted based upon his discovery. In addition, Dr. Petersen is investigating the usefulness of gene/stem cell therapy in the treatment of certain inherited metabolic diseases of the liver (Crigler-Najjar Syndrome (C-NS) and Glycogen Storage Disease (GSD)).

Children with C-NS are unable to eliminate bilirubin from their bodies and, therefore, must undergo daily 12-hour exposure to special blue lights, just to survive. Without daily treatments, a child would suffer brain damage, muscle and nerve damage and death due to bilirubin toxicity. Children with GCS suffer in a different way, having to eat/drink a corn-starch meal every four hours to maintain their blood glucose levels. If they don’t, they become hypoglycemic and will fall into a coma and die. To date very few options are available for treatment of these diseases. Liver transplantation is an efficacious therapy, but the number of donor organs is limited, requires life-long immune suppression and in most cases is cost prohibitive. His studies combine two high-profile fields--stem cells and gene therapy--that will hopefully cure these children of their disease, not just treat them.

In addition, Dr. Petersen’s laboratory is working on whether or not bone marrow derived cells can be a useful approach in the treatment of Type-1 Diabetes. His lab has shown that bone marrow derived cells can be differentiated into insulin producing cells, which can then be transplanted into mice and correct their hyperglycemia.

Dr. Petersen continues his work on bone marrow-derived stem cells, elucidating the mechanisms behind the signals to which they respond as well as how they repopulate a damaged liver. Dr. Petersen’s lab has demonstrated temporal and profound role of several different molecules such as (SDF-1, G-CSF and SST) on stem cell proliferation and differentiation, which will be critical for successful hepatic tissue engineering.

Lastly, Dr. Petersen has begun to work on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and therapeutic targeting of stem cells in HCC will be highly significant, especially since several cancer stem cells are being identified in solid tumor settings.

Dr. Petersen received his BA from the University of Iowa, and his MS and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh. His post-doctorate training continued at Pitt in the Department of Pathology, where he was promoted to Research Assistant Professor. In 2000, Dr. Petersen took a faculty position at the University of Florida as an Assistant Professor and is currently an Associate Professor with tenure.