Seventeen juniors and seniors presented results of medical research they have conducted this year through the National Institutes of Health at a symposium held at Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) headquarters in Chevy Chase on May 3.

The students' work is the outcome of grants from Howard Hughes Medical Institute for the Student and Teacher Program at NIH. Grants of $1.5 million awarded last year extended for three and one-half years the successful internship programs developed by the school system and supported by HHMI since 1990.

The students began their work last summer, taking a course in laboratory principles, techniques and practices. Then they worked side-by-side with NIH scientist-mentors throughout the school year.

In addition, the grants fund the work of about 10 teachers chosen each year to participate in six weeks of laboratory research at NIH during the summer. When they return to their schools, they develop instructional units to share what they have learned with their students and fellow teachers. Teachers may return to NIH for a second summer to continue their research and develop additional instructional units.

Students who presented their research at the May 3 symposium are:

Montgomery Blair High School: Pablo Ruiz

Winston Churchill High School: Carley Schaffer

Gaithersburg High School: Margaret Young

Walter Johnson High School: Deborah Zlotnik

John F. Kennedy High School: Dawn Hill

Paint Branch High School: Elizabeth Ssemanda, Rebecca Yang

Quince Orchard High School: Benson Lee, Mikhail Sirotin

Rockville High School: Amanda Dempster, Grezeqorz Starosta

Springbrook High School: Olivia Kwak

Watkins Mill High School: Kevin Arnold

Wheaton High School: Tanapume Patrick Vongchan

Walt Whitman High School: Kiriana Cowansage

Thomas S. Wootton High School: Robert Kao, Joseph Lopreiato

MCPS teachers who conducted internships during 2000-2001 are:

Argyle Middle School: John Gruber

Damascus High School: Jason Gvazdauskas

Albert Einstein High School: Elizabeth Daniels

John F. Kennedy High School: Jameela JaFri

Francis Scott Key Middle School: Deanna Schmidt

Col. Zadok Magruder High School: Kelly Gallo, Diane Lee

Northwest High School: Anika Lynch

Paint Branch High School: Catherine Moraytis

Wheaton High School: Marie Paul

Twenty students and seven teachers also have been selected to participate in the 2000-2001 Student and Teacher

Program.

Student participants will be:

Montgomery Blair High School: Deepti Muraleedharan

Damascus High School: Shannon Carbery, Arthur Pham

Walter Johnson High School: Rebecca Kahane, Susan Kahane, Maria Saavedra, Hou Hui Ying

John F. Kennedy High School: April Colleton, Vanessa Lopez

Col. Zadok Magruder High School: Michael Reich

Northwest High School: Tina Kasliwal

Paint Branch High School: Ekemini Udofa

Poolesville High School: Alison Carr

Rockville High School: Tsedaye Makonnen

Sherwood High School: Caitlin Innerfield

Watkins Mill High School: David Schulzinger, Siddharth Viswanathan

Wheaton High School: Anoma Hapangama

Walt Whitman High School: Ophelia Venturelli

Thomas S. Wootton High School: Daniel Huang

Participating teachers will be:

Albert Einstein High School: Rosanna Thomas

Northwest High School: Carlos Charriez, Anika Lynch

Thomas W. Pyle Middle School: Peter Petrossian

Seneca Valley High School: Jason Falconio

Wheaton High School: Dedra Mattox-Jones

Walt Whitman High School: Anne O'Donoghue

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