Schiff Family Science Research Institute
Our students don't have to wait until college or graduate school to find out what it's like to work in the real world. At The Summit, authentic research with industry professionals happens during high school.
Jessica Sakash Replogle, Ph.D. is the head of the Schiff Family Science Research Institute. Dr. Replogle received a doctorate in biochemistry from Boston College and bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from University of New Hampshire. She has been published in numerous professional, scientific journals from her work at Boston College and Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School.
SRI Blogs
Tarek Hasan created a program for machine improvisation using algorithmic composition and Markov chains in the Max programming language. This unique project involved developing a final product rather than drawing conclusions from data. It was a remote endeavor conducted from home, providing him with valuable coding skills and insights into music and STEM.
Ethan Lam critiques the use of ChatGPT in cancer treatment, emphasizing privacy concerns and its unsuitability for such a purpose. He discusses his research on anti-cancer peptides during an internship, highlighting its potential, and mentions the positive role of AI in peptide prediction. He concludes that, while AI holds promise, ChatGPT is not currently suitable for medical use.
Teresa Tarnowski discovered that melatonin is often misused as a sleep aid during their research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Melatonin, when taken at the correct time, can reset sleep schedules, and the research aimed to assess its effectiveness in combination with clonidine for pediatric patients with sleep issues, potentially offering improved sleep outcomes. This highlights the importance of understanding how over-the-counter sleep medications impact sleep cycles.
Sofia Ramirez conducted research focusing on the effects of Benzo[a]pyrene (BAP), a carcinogen in smoke, on the development and learning of mouse offspring. She studied how gestational BAP exposure impacted different genotypes. Various tests were conducted, including the Morris Water Maze for memory and neurotransmitter analysis. The findings have potential implications for understanding how prenatal BAP exposure may affect human children, especially in areas near factories or wildfires, and the experience enhanced their understanding of laboratory work and research.
McKinley Kramer researched treatment options for a young patient with 22Q Deletion Syndrome and potential ADHD. She conducted an extensive literature review to find suitable treatments by identifying articles related to both conditions. This research aims to help individuals with these complex health issues, raise awareness about 22Q Deletion Syndrome and ADHD, and provide hope to those facing these challenges, as research in this area is limited.
Maddie Sumnar participated in a project to boost HPV vaccination rates in the United States. She used a simulated pediatric center to test strategies and found that providing pediatricians with an informative script for parents was the most effective in increasing vaccination rates. This research aims to improve vaccine clarity and increase childhood vaccination rates, potentially reducing HPV-related cancers. The author expresses their enthusiasm for continuing their research journey and highlights the importance of various research aspects.