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Our next fall deadline is October 15, 2023 11:59pm PT. Apply today to lock in your spot!

10-session deep dive into a research topic of your choice

6-week research project with an expert and peers who share your passion

A career discovery experience with 3 expert mentors in your chosen fields

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cell and molecular biology, genetics, gene therapy

In this project, Raylene will complete a review paper on the topic of ozone pollution and photochemical smog in urban areas. The paper will cover the chemical composition of ozone and photochemical smog, their sources, their effects on humans and environments, current regulations, and the future trends of ozone and photochemical smog. She will learn how to read and synthesize scientific papers, do scientific writing with citations, make figures from publicly available datasets, etc. We aim to publish this in a journal for high school students. Raylene is making very good progress in learning scientific writing so far!

Climate Change Biology, Ecology, GIS (geographic information system), environmental sciences, environmental justice, evolutionary biology, genetics, botany, microbial DNA analyses (bioinformatics)

Ozone pollution and phytochemical smog in urban areas with a special focus on Los Angeles Metro Area

Several studies have reported the relationship between financial funding of education and its effects on education, and how underfunded districts experience lower graduation rates. Previous studies have demonstrated a general report of this relationship through a broader lens. In this study, we explore this topic further and analyze the conditions found specifically within school districts in the state of California. By using data released by the government of California, we are able to examine total district funding and its direct relationship to graduation rates. Our findings indicate that districts with more plentiful resources and higher funding do in fact lead to higher graduation rates. With these discoveries, we are then able to predict a rough estimate of the graduation rate if given a specific amount of funding.

mathematics, statistics, computer science, data science, fluent in English and Chinese

How does district funding affect the graduation rate?

(subject to change pending revisions) In this project, Hanwen will write a paper that discusses East Asian cultural perceptions of the LGBTQ+ community and how this compares to Western culture's perspective. More specifically, Hanwen will explore the parent-child dynamics that exist between queer Asian American youth and their parents, and how the intersection of these identities plays a role in their relationship. In order to strike a balance between academic and creative personal essay in his own essay, Hanwen will incorporate existing academic research in the introduction of his paper and use this to segway into a critical analysis of a writing piece (to be determined) related to queer Asian American identity.

mental health counseling, trauma and resiliency, race-related stress and racial trauma, gender-affirming mental health treatment, qualitative research skills,

Intersections of Ethnicity, Race, and Sexual Orientation of Queer Asian Americans 

King is going to be writing a research paper on social issues in sports. We are going to do a deep dive on how key social issues have manifested themselves within sports over the last 10 years including racism, wage gap, growing cost of attendance and mental health awareness. For each of these topics we will bring up case studies, new articles and research papers to help provide context and examples of these issues. While we know the solution is not easy we will look to talk about steps that can be taken to solve some of these issues. 

Currently an adjunct professor at La Salle University teaching Sports Finance to undergraduates & Managerial Accounting to MBA students, been in the sports industry now for 5 years revolving around accounting, finance, sports business analytics etc.

Social Issues In Sports

We are planning on creating a survey that will be administered to high school student athletes to evaluate the relationship between caffeine intake and sleep quality/quantity. The survey will use the Pittsburg Sleep Quality index and record average caffeine intake. After administering the survey, we will write a report on the results. Our goal is to share the results in the polygence symposium and publish a paper. 

kinesiology, exercise psychology, exercise cognition, exercise physiology, motor behavior

The relationship between caffeine intake and sleep quality in high school student athletes

Johnny will fill this out by Monday (so please overwrite this, Johnny). The project will be about IMUs and Visual Odometry for either a drone or a date from a cell phone camera

navigation, estimation, controls, machine learning, dynamics, aerospace, finance, Monte Carlo methods

How well does the integration of Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) and Visual Odometry (VO) contribute to accurate and drift-free navigation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in GPS-denied environments? 

CRISPR-Cas9 engineered organoids represent the novel application of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology in three-dimensional stem cell cultures, and have gained significant attention in recent years. These organoids, miniaturized 3D structures derived from stem cells, faithfully replicate the functional and structural characteristics of real organs. Their potential for disease modeling, providing insights into human development and disease mechanisms, and their ability to replicate complex organ structures and functions in vitro make organoids invaluable in medical research and drug discovery. The utilization of CRISPR-Cas9 technology enables precise genome editing of the stem cells, thereby enhancing the fidelity and accuracy of organoid models and enabling the study of mutations and diseases that were previously unable to be replicated in vitro. Recently, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising approach to advance this technology. The convergence of CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology and AI can speed up and improve the CRISPR-Cas9 process for organoids by analyzing large and/or complicated datasets, predicting CRISPR-Cas9 off-target effects, improving CRISPR-Cas9 splicing accuracy, and even creating better CRISPR-Cas9 gene knockout plans. Though the technology is still at an early stage, this comprehensive review discusses the current and future utilization of AI in CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing technology for organoid creation, research, and improvement.

Case reports in medicine, computational protein design, cryo-EM image analysis, computational genomics, telemedicine, AI in medicine, biochemistry, web development, data journalism

Systematic Review on the Usage of Artificial Intelligence in CRISPR-Cas9 Genome Editing Technology for Organoid Research

Language taken from Caroline's IRB proposal: Caroline is conducting a mixed methods research study to pinpoint sources of depression and anxiety in LGBTQ+ adolescence. Origins of struggle can be utilized to produce blueprints for newly tailored and specialized therapy resources for the prevention of identity crises and prejudice, build societal empathy through psychological clarity, and facilitate progress towards holistic health and wellness in LGBTQ+ teens.



Gray Chameleons on the Rise: Mental Illness in the LGBTQ+ Community

Meet Polygence Scholars and explore their projects