NewRoFoundation

Two New Rochelle High School seniors have been chosen for publication in the selective International Journal of High School Research for their explorations into the genetics of epilepsy and fatal cardiac events.

Akshara Koottala and Rachel Rivera conducted their explorations in the NRHS Science Research Program. Both were thrilled that their projects made the cut for the journal that has featured articles from Brazil, South Korea, India and other countries, as well as across the United States.

“They cover such mind-blowing topics,” Koottala said. “I was really delighted because I felt all the hard work finally paid off.”

They were notified recently of their selection for the quarterly journal, which began publishing last year. Their works have not yet been slated for specific issues. The journal features five to eleven articles in each issue, exploring a wide array of scientific areas such as Alzheimer’s disease, dengue fever, economic downturns and the effects of invasive species on crocodile populations.

“IJHSR selects the highest quality of high school student research work in all areas of science, including the behavioral and social sciences, technology, engineering, and math,” the publication’s website reads.

Koottala and Rivera conducted their research in summer 2019.

Koottala’s project was “Using Neuropeptide Y as a Marker to Track GABA Neurons in Rat Brains Prenatally Primed with Betamethasone.” She looked at epilepsy in rats whose mothers had been put under stress. She found that pregnant rats who were stressed gave birth to offspring who were more likely to have lower counts of a certain protein that helps prevent seizures.

“Stress in the mother is so powerful – enough to impact the child,” she said.

A surprising secondary finding was that females were more likely to develop epilepsy earlier than males.

Her research, conducted at New York Medical College, combined a study of epilepsy recommended by her mentor, with genetics, which has long interested her.

“When I discovered that the cause of epilepsy is unknown in two out of every three people diagnosed, I felt inspired to search for a possible cause and link it to genetics,” she said. Of genetics, she said; “It’s just fascinating to me there is a whole blueprint of how our body works in these little cells.”

Rivera’s project was “Determinants of Coronary Vascular Events Responsible for Sudden Cardiac Death-Vulnerable Plaque Trial.” She researched fatal events such as heart attacks that strike suddenly because the cause of undetected buildups in the arteries called vulnerable plaque.

Rivera, who plans to be a cardiologist, conducted her research at Weill Cornell Medical Center, affiliated with New York-Presbyterian in New York City. She found that newer, dual-energy CT scans were more effective for spotting incidents of vulnerable plaque.

“These plaques are very difficult to diagnose in people because they are confused with fatty plaques,” she said. “We found that the dual energy CT scan was able to best characterize the location of each vulnerable plaque.”

Such earlier detection could save lives.

“These findings suggest a new method of vulnerable plaque identification, which was previously unknown and may assist in lessening the cardiovascular burden associated with this condition,” she explained.

Jeff Wuebber, coordinator of the Science Research Program, called their accomplishment “astoundingly remarkable and impressive.”

“Rachel and Akshara are in a league of their own,” he said. “If the future is filled with scientists like them, our world will be a greater place.”