A Fayetteville-Manlius freshman has won several awards in a regional science fair for an independent project titled, “Cancer Prediction Through Modeling: Understanding Environmental and Heritable Factors.”
Yusuf Ay said he’s always been interested in looking at how math and
computer science can be used to explain biological processes, such as why some people get sick and others don’t. Yusuf said two F-M teachers helped spark the idea behind his project. Biology teacher Mrs. Reichel made him excited to learn more about how genes work and how they can affect our health, while computer science teacher Mr. Phan encouraged Yusuf to work on extra projects while the class was practicing Python coding.
Using the computer skills Mr. Phan’s class focused on helped Yusuf make sense of complex biology topics, such as how cancer starts and grows. His project looked specifically at breast, skin, and lung cancer. Yusuf used mathematical modeling and computer programming to study how changes in our genes’ DNA and our environmental factors, like sunlight, radiation, or pollution, worked together to affect our chances of getting cancer.
“I hope this project might inspire other students and highlight our district’s dedication to STEM education,” explained Yusuf.
Once Yusuf’s research was complete, he entered the 44th Central New York Science and Engineering Fair, held at Syracuse’s Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) on April 7, 2024. Yusuf left the competition with several accolades, including:
- Regeneron Biomedical Science Award
- IEEE Awards in Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Le Moyne Excellence in Mathematics & Computer Science Award
- Senior Division Honors medal
To see a full list of award winners, follow this link.
