FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON April 12, 2021
American Academy of Neurology Announces 2021 Neuroscience Research Prize Winners
MINNEAPOLIS - The American Academy of Neurology announces four winners of the 2021 Neuroscience Research Prize, which goes to students who represent some of the brightest, most promising young people in the field of neurology. This award is designed to encourage high school students to explore the world of the brain and nervous system through research, identify and reward students whose scientific skill and talent show potential for scientific contributions in the field of neuroscience. The Neuroscience Research Prizes will be highlighted at the American Academy of Neurology's 73rd Annual Meeting being held virtually April 17-22, 2021. Meagan Ryan, from Ossining High School, in Ossining, N.Y., is being recognized for her study of cocaine addiction. Ryan is the recipient of the Neuroscience Research Prize in Child Neurology, an award sponsored by the AAN and the Child Neurology Society. According to the Neuroscience Research Prize Work Group, “Explorations of the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of addiction such as this study help us better understand this disorder and may inform the development of future treatments.” Ryan will present her work at the 2021 Child Neurology Society Annual Meeting. Viraj Mehta, from BASIS Scottsdale, a charter school in Scottsdale, Ariz., turned in a project that may have significant treatment implications for patients with glioblastoma, which is an aggressive type of cancer that can occur in the brain. Mehta developed a platform for interpreting MRI images of glioblastoma. The selection committee was impressed with this platform’s “important real-world implications.” From Bronx High School of Science in New York, N.Y., Noah Getz’s project dove into the ways machine learning may have applications for Alzheimer’s disease treatment. According to the selection committee, “This project was advanced and complicated, and Getz did a fantastic job of discussing its implications.” Danny Li, from Jericho Senior High School, Jericho, N.Y., researched the neuroprotective potential of an enzyme and a flavonoid with antioxidant properties, with the goal of identifying them as potential Alzheimer’s disease modifying drugs. “This research was interesting, well written and relevant,” said the selection committee. The American Academy of Neurology congratulates the students receiving these awards and wishes them all successful future careers in neurology.