Roslyn High School juniors Jessie Dong and Maxx Yung were recently named winners in the Association of Chinese American Physicians’ (ACAP) annual research competition. Jessie won the top award in the cancer category for her study of how common compounds found in fruits and vegetables may alleviate symptoms of nervous system tumors, and Maxx received a special award for his work on potential opioid treatments for COVID-19. Roslyn High School Research Coordinator Dr. Allyson Weseley said, “It’s wonderful to see Jessie and Maxx’s hard work rewarded.”
Students were judged on a 20-page research paper on their topic, and the authors of the best papers were then invited to present in person using a poster or PowerPoint in front of an audience of medical professionals. Jessie’s study, “Dietary Flavonoid Luteolin Targets Neuroblastoma: Attenuation of Adhesion and Induction of Cell Death,” was the culmination of six weeks of lab work this past summer. “The results indicate the potential to develop ways to fight neuroblastoma without the negative side effects of chemotherapy and radiation,” explained Jessie. Maxx’s study was called “The Effect of Opioid Peptides on COVID-19”. “My study showed that the use of opioid treatments for COVID can negatively impact another common form of treatment that involves blocking the ACE2 receptor.”
