| Biography |
|---|
| My name is Alyssa Young and I’m currently enrolled in 11th grade at Holy Heart High School, completing the IB program. Aside from academics, I am involved in many extracurricular activities at school revolving around STEM topics as well as social justice and arts, such as the Green Leaf club and Choir. I have a high interest in science, and have been accepted into the Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program’s summer academy for July 2015. In University I plan on studying various sciences and continuing with medical research, eventually specializing in oncological research. This is where the inspiration for my project began. As I have always had an interest in cancer research, I knew I wanted to explore beneficial treatments for cancer. The results of my experiment were positive but the opportunities to expand on this knowledge are endless, including a survey of all rare childhood cancers that still have genotoxic chemotherapy as their current standard of care in clinic, and pursuit of the options for other targeted therapies. I recommend to anyone planning on doing a project that they do something they are truly interested in as it makes the research very enjoyable and personal. |
| Alyssa Young
Childhood Cancer Chemotherapy: The promise of non-genotoxic options
| Challenge: | Health | | Category: | Senior | | Region: | Eastern Newfoundland | | City: | St. John's, NL | | School: | Holy Heart High School | | Abstract: | Childhood cancers are treated with chemotherapeutic regimens that may incorporate DNA-damaging, or genotoxic, drugs. To shift away from genotoxic options, I examined the efficacy of a growth factor receptor inhibitor, lapatinib, in a juvenile-onset ovarian cancer cell line (COV434) versus the DNA-damaging agent cisplatin. COV434 cells were sensitive to growth inhibition with lapatinib treatment, suggesting growth factor signaling is an alternative target for effective therapy. |
| Awards | Value | Excellence Award - Senior
Bronze Medal
Sponsor: Youth Science Canada | | University of Ottawa Entrance Scholarship
Senior Bronze Medallist - $1000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: University of Ottawa | $1 000.00 | Western University Scholarship
Bronze Medallist - $1000 Entrance Scholarship
Sponsor: Western University | $1 000.00 | | Total | $2 000.00 | |
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