April 4, 2019
Science Fair projects encompass far more than building volcanoes or solar system models...
On April 4, 2019 five (5) volunteer ‘judges’ from PDA’s Delaware Valley Chapter participated in the annual Delaware Valley Science Fair. This is a tremendous event for the area where students showcase their sophisticated research projects that focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) topics in 13 different categories, Team Projects and Consumer Science. When you review each student’s posters and talk to them about their research you quickly forget that the presenters are in middle and/or high school.
Each year, 900 to 1,000 students in grades 6th through 12th from Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware, make new discoveries that could change their lives forever as they participate in the Delaware Valley Science Fairs (DVSF). For over 10 years, PDA’s Delaware Valley Chapter has been activity involved with judging all of the outstanding entries. As part of the Chapter’s commitment to science and the communities, over $5,000 in prize money has been awarded to 10 projects related to the pharmaceutical and/or health industry with the goal of encouraging students and their interest in science. In addition to local recognition, DVSF takes top high-school winners to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) competition in May to compete for more than $4 million in scholarships and awards. Top middle-school winners go on to the Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars) national competition.
We congratulate all of the student participants and especially the PDA Delaware Valley Chapter’s Special Award Winners.
Special thanks also goes to our judges, from left to right Michele Laudenslager, Nikki Shulde, Margit Olson, Traute Ryan and Kristi Ballard. Bravo for continuing to lead this effort and representing the chapter.
An In-Silico Approach to Immuno-Oncology: Novel Small Molecule Inhibitors of the PD-1 Immune Checkpoint
Sindhura Siddapureddy
Central Bucks High School- West
Urine as an Alternative to Blood for Cancer Liquid Biopsy and Precision Medicine
Adam Zhang
Methacton High School
Programmed Apoptotic Hepatocellular Death Induced by SMAC Mimetic on SHB Producing Cells
Alec Maraska
Central Bucks High School- West
Exosomal Haptoglobin Potential as Protein Biomarker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Madison Charnigo
Central Bucks High School- West
The Effect of a Vegan Diet on an Omnivorous Gut Microbiome
Sarah Rojas
Germantown Academy
Effacious And Effectual Antifungal Natural Remedies?
Rachel Li
Parkland High School
Synergistic Effects of Essential Oils and Olfactory Lures as Attractive Toxic Sugar Baits (ATSBs) on Culex and Aedes Species
Gwen Ericson
Marine Academy of Technology & Environmental Science
The Effects of Mangifera indica and Cinnamomum zeylanicum Evergreen Tree Bark Extracts on Oral Bacteria Causing Caries and Periodontal Disease
Julietta Onofrietti
Toms River High School North
A Novel Approach To Combating Cancer Using Chelation Therapy (EDTA)
Vishruth Hanumaihgari
Springhouse Middle School
Monthly Toxocara Contamination Levels in Montgomery County, PA
Devyn Stek
St Teresa of Calcutta
Founded in the 1990’s, PDA Delaware Valley is a regional chapter of PDA that serves technical professionals in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. The chapter is a non-profit organization that continually donates a majority of our profits to impoverished school districts in our community. As leaders from different functional areas, our chapter embodies the PDA’s mission of “Connecting People, Science, and Regulation:” The chapter achieves this objective through networking events that attract core companies; vendors, and academic institutions; organizing expert-led roundtables and symposiums on industry best-practices and publishing peer-Reviewed White Papers and Technical Reports on FDA guidelines