2006-07 National Finalists
National Finalist Winners
$15,000 Scholarship
Dalene Cook
Seneca High School
Seneca, Missouri
How Sweet It Is: The Influence of Taste Perception and Sensitivity on Food Choice Based on Taste Status
"I will never forget all the amazing people at the competition. After listening to the speakers and hearing what epidemiology is really about, I have an entirely new outlook on the world. I know that we can help the world and that we can do so much good."
Dalene, a confessed picky eater, investigated whether taste sensitivity to sweet and bitter was related to food choice and body mass index (BMI). She did some research, and found that people could be categorized into certain taste status categories. Then she wondered if a person's taste status could affect BMI and the likelihood of becoming overweight or obese. With this research, Dalene believes that food scientists and manufacturers will see that taste status does affect how sweeteners and foods are preferred by different types of tasters. This information can be used to make healthy foods more attractive to consumers.
Dalene has competed in state science fairs and is a member of the National Honor Society and her school's Student Council. She plays the saxophone and enjoys reading, volleyball, track, and spending time with her friends. Dalene plans to become a doctor and has not yet decided on which school she will attend when she graduates from high school next year.
Mio Frisk
Menlo-Atherton High School
Atherton, California
Examining the Correlation between Physical Activity, Body Mass Index, and Amenorrhea in Young Women
"There are many possible explanations for why a woman would miss her period, but it is often associated with a low body weight and high level of physical activity. My study found that young women with this condition do have a lower average body mass index and are more active than those who do not have amenorrhea."
Mio's topic is based on personal experience. She used to dance almost 25 hours per week, but has since had to stop because she was affected by amenorrhea. She thought it would be interesting to see if high activity level was really associated with amenorrhea, and then inform the public that exercise does come with some risks if taken to the extreme. Mio examined the impact of body weight and physical activity on young women's menstrual cycles. Surveying 200 girls at her high school, Mio found that high levels of physical activity and low body weight were associated with amenorrhea or missed periods. She hopes that potential health problems resulting from amenorrhea can be avoided if women are more informed about the risks of maintaining a low body weight and exercising excessively.
About her experience at the YES Competition, Mio says, "The whole experience was one of the most memorable I have ever had, but I mostly enjoyed meeting and presenting my research to both people my own age and professionals who had the same interests as me." Mio enjoys teaching dance classes and has taught English to students in Japan during her summer break. She plans to major in biology at Stanford University or the University of California, Berkeley, and will continue on to medical school.
Charles Hyman
Bellaire Senior High School
Bellaire, Texas
"All-you-can-eat" Buffets and Obesity
"Education programs to prevent obesity should include the risks of eating at all-you-can-eat buffets and legal regulation of all you can eat buffets should be considered."
Charles decided on his topic because he frequently eats at buffets and has noticed a significant amount of obese diners. His innovative and scientifically rigorous study compared patrons of all-you-can-eat buffets with those visiting sit-down restaurants in the same geographic regions and price ranges. He found that obesity was substantially more prevalent at all-you-can-eat buffets and that prevalence varied by ethnicity. Charles said his research could impact the messages in future anti-obesity health interventions.
The YES Competition has changed Charles's life in a variety of ways. "Now I always have epidemiology in the back of my mind," he says. "Whenever I hear someone say something causes something else, I always ask myself whether it is cause or correlation and think of possible confounders." Charles is a member of several organizations including the National Honor Society. His hobbies include basketball and football. Charles has not yet determined which school he will attend, but intends to major in biology and will keep epidemiology in his career plans.
Seth Levine
William A. Shine Great Neck High School South
Great Neck, New York
Fast-Food and Obesity in New York City Neighborhoods: A Statistical Approach
"The YES Competition was an unbelievable experience. The speakers' strong emphasis on prevention really changed my view on the world. This idea of prevention was stressed so much throughout the weekend and has really changed the way I look at situations."
Recognizing that obesity is a problem in today's society, Seth became interested in the relationship between fast-food and obesity after reading numerous newspaper articles relating the two. An active student-athlete, Seth investigated whether the presence of fast-food restaurants in New York City contributes to obesity, particularly in low-income and African-American neighborhoods. As part of his work, Seth mapped the distribution of fast-food restaurants in New York City neighborhoods. "There are many interrelated factors that contribute to an individual becoming obese," Seth said. "It is the interrelation of ethnicity, individual behavior, and environment." Seth thinks that it is important to identify what neighborhoods are most at risk, in order to develop a rational approach to combat obesity.
Regarding the YES Competition, Seth says, "I got to meet so many great people from all over the country. I never imagined I would be able to present my research to a full auditorium of people and professionals in the field. It was an exhilarating and inspiring experience that I will not forget. The whole weekend just being surrounded by motivated students and people was truly amazing." Seth has competed in several regional science competitions. He enjoys soccer, basketball, and track and is on the Math Team. Seth will attend the engineering school at the University of Pennsylvania and plans to combine his interests in science, math, public health, and business into a rewarding career.
Kelsey Miller
Swink High School
Swink, Colorado
A Study of Early-Morning Breakfast Habits of Teens and Their Midmorning Blood Sugar Levels
"The research results reinforced the importance of eating a healthy breakfast for many reasons including feeling better, optimizing learning opportunities in school, and improving health. If high school students and others can see in a concrete way the benefits of eating a healthy breakfast, then perhaps some will begin to make better breakfast choices. Our school cafeteria has started offering better breakfast options since the study."
After hearing that her school nurse saw an increase in the number of students complaining about headaches and an inability to concentrate mid-morning, Kelsey wanted to explore whether or not breakfast habits were related to these symptoms. She tested mid-morning blood sugar levels of students to examine the effects of students eating breakfast at home, at school, or not at all, respectively.
Her research found that eating a sugary, simple carbohydrate breakfast, or skipping breakfast, resulted in a wide range of mid-morning blood sugars. It was less beneficial to students' health than eating a complex carbohydrate, high-protein breakfast, which resulted in steady, normal mid-morning blood sugars. Kelsey developed an educational brochure for families that is now being used by the county health department and a local hospital.
Kelsey says that, "The YES Competition has opened my eyes to the scope of research that has been done and still needs to be done. I have learned so much through the whole experience, not only about research, but also public speaking and the field of medicine." Her hobbies include volleyball, basketball, and track. She is involved in numerous organizations and clubs. Kelsey plans on attending Colorado State University, where she will study biomedical sciences.
Justin Petrillo
Union County Magnet High School
Scotch Plains, New Jersey
Personal and Ambient Concentrations of PM2.5 in Camden, New Jersey
"I wanted to study a particular air pollutant that hadn't been looked at much before. I also wanted to apply the statistics I had learned, in order to help people with health inequities."
Justin was very interested in the effects of pollution, especially PM2.5. He wanted to use scientific research to better the lives of people and reduce their health risks. Justin examined air pollution levels in and around Camden. More specifically, he detected the presence of dangerous air particles, PM2.5, in several area neighborhoods and explored their impact on health. He found that the Waterfront South area of Camden, an area with a high density of factories, was a "hotspot" for PM2.5 concentrations. Justin noted that the health effects of PM2.5 still are not well known, but his research has highlighted those parts of Camden that must be investigated further to reduce health threats.
Justin has participated in numerous science competitions and is a member of many clubs, including the Robotics, Calculus, and Business Clubs. He enjoys playing jazz guitar and piano, and reading about a variety of topics. Justin has been accepted at several institutions, but has not yet made a final decision on where he will attend college. He plans to major in math, physics, or economics and expects to make research his career path. Due to his experience at the YES Competition, Justin says, "I am now considering going into epidemiology, where I can use my mathematical abilities to help people."