Middle and High School Students Win Osteopathic Medical Awards

(May 2024) Six middle school and high school students received the Osteopathic Medical Award at the 2024 State Science Day, held online over two weeks in April. The awards, which carry a total of $650 in cash prizes, are supported jointly by the OOA and Ohio Osteopathic Foundation.

Projects were judged in two divisions, 7th-9th grade and 10th-12th grade, by Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (HCOM) students who volunteered their time. Thank you to HCOM student Anita Mancini who recruited and organized her peers. She is president of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association. In addition to Mancini, HCOM judges included: Victoria Cruz; Zachary Frank; Alyson Johnson; Sumedha Kappagantula; Caroline Kruithoff; Halie Leftwich; Aaron Lorton; Abigail McAllister; Josie Myers; Nandini Patel; Mirisha Sheth; Sophia Thompson; and Abigail Weidner.

A total of 85 students competed for Osteopathic Medical Awards. Priority was given to research related to interrelationships between the body’s function and structure, the musculoskeletal system, or a holistic approach to medicine, including internal and external factors and preventive treatments.

State Science Day, sponsored annually by the Ohio Academy of Science, is the pinnacle of 5th-12th grade student originated, inquiry-based science education. There were more than 580 projects presented. 

OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL AWARD WINNERS

SENIOR DIVISION 10th-12th Grade 

FIRST PLACE
The function of IRF-7 in relation to antitumor immunity in the cGAS-STING pathway
Sonia Wen
Upper Arlington High School (Franklin County)
12th grade
 
SECOND PLACE
TremorSense: A Novel Parkinsonian Tremor Monitoring and Suppression System
Haasini Mendu
William Mason High School (Warren County)
11th grade
 
THIRD PLACE
Rational Design and Testing of Natural Hemostatic Hydrogel Using Plant Materials
Bryan Shin
Solon High School (Cuyahoga County)
10th grade
 
JUNIOR DIVISION 7th-9th Grade 

FIRST PLACE
DNA: Viewing and Analyzing the Ultimate Biological Tool
Shrivaan Kalita
Sycamore Junior High School (Hamilton County)
7th grade
 
SECOND PLACE
Lung Capacity: Athletes versus Non-athletes
Annie Chen
Fairland High School (Lawrence County)
9th grade
 
THIRD PLACE
Bacterial Colonization on Cell Phones
Micah Fisher
Liberty Union Middle School (Fairfield County)
8th grade