Roslyn High School student Mahip Grewal clinched first place in the Cell Biology category at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair (LISEF) on March 10, to secure one of 20 Long Island slots at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
Mahip’s project, “Investigation of HCC Development Following Senescence in UHRF1 Overexpressing Zebrafish Livers,” is an extension of her previous work on a related topic. Both projects were conducted at a laboratory at Mount Sinai. Mahip explained her study as an investigation of “liver cell division in zebrafish that overexpress human UHRF1, a gene that is highly expressed in HCC patients.” She discovered something never shown before in an animal model: that liver cells can escape senescence, a tumor-suppressing mechanism. She hopes her findings “will contribute to the development of liver cancer treatments that target epigenetic pathways.”
This year’s ISEF will be held in Phoenix, AZ. There, Mahip will have the opportunity to present to renowned judges in her field and to interact with students from all over the world who share her interest in science. “We are delighted with Mahip’s success,” said Dr. Allyson Weseley, Mahip’s research advisor at Roslyn High School. “She is a diligent and insightful researcher who richly deserves this honor.”
Roslyn took home a number of other awards at LISEF. Nicolas Furci placed second in the Behavioral Science category and also received a special award from the American Psychological Association. Tawny Sit came in third in Physics, and Nathan Yang received an Honorable Mention in Behavioral Science.
