May 31, 2019   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Elite High School Scientists Headed to BIO 2019 to Face Off in the BioGENEius Challenge

Today, the Biotechnology Institute announced the 15 student winners who will advance to the final stages of the 2019 BioGENEius Challenge this coming week at the BIO International Convention (BIO 2019) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The BioGENEius Challenge is the premier competition for high school students from across the globe that recognizes outstanding research and innovation in biotechnology. This year, finalists come from across the U.S. and Canada, having won State or Regional science competitions or through the Institute’s at-large national competition to vie for recognition in any of three Global Challenge categories: Healthcare, Sustainability (AgBIo) and Industrial/Environmental Biotechnology.

Johnson & Johnson Innovation is the signature sponsor of the BioGENEius Program and the Global Healthcare Challenge as part of its longstanding mission to support STEM education.

"Science needs champions, and that’s why we at Johnson & Johnson are proud once again to serve as the exclusive sponsor of the BioGENEius Global Healthcare and Gene Pool competitions,” said Seema Kumar, VP Innovation, Global Health and Policy Communications at Johnson & Johnson. “Each of the students competing this year has brought together heart, science and ingenuity to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges in healthcare, energy and agriculture. We’re simply amazed both by their passion for research and discovery and by the extraordinarily high quality of their projects.”

On June 3rd, the elite high school finalists will participate in the final round of judging for the International BioGENEius Challenge. During the competition, students will present their highly advanced research projects that address a variety of real world challenges. Many BioGENEius finalists go on to distinguishing academic and industry careers to realize their innovative capabilities.

This year’s BioGENEius finalists include:

  • Melanie Quan, Las Lomas High School, Walnut Creek, CA
  • Nadia Ansari Sage Hill School, Newport Coast, CA
  • Spoorthy Reddy, Fairview High School, Boulder, CO
  • Udeerna Tippabhatla, The Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington, DE
  • Ananya Ganesh, The Westminster Schools, Atlanta, GA
  • Leila Winn, Oak Park River Forest High School, Oak Park, IL
  • Claire Wills, Central Lee High School, Donnellson, IA
  • Katrina Case, Pembroke Hill School, Kansas City, KS
  • Melissa Tian, Bangor High School, Bangor, ME
  • Faith Cheung, Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville, MD
  • Maximilian Zhang, Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, NJ
  • Aneesha Manocha, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, NC
  • Neil Deshmukh, Moravian Academy, Bethlehem, PA
  • Ethan Chan, Glenlyon Norfolk School, Victoria, BC, Canada
  • Paula Zhu, Albemarle High School, Charlottesville, VA

“The extraordinary research we see during the BioGENEius Challenge underscores the importance of investing and encouraging our younger generations to pursue their ideas.” said Dr. Larry Mahan, President of the Biotechnology Institute. “By focusing on and encouraging the breadth of promising applications of biotechnology, we will ensure the continued growth of STEM education and career development opportunities in both academia and industry these young innovators.”

The winners of the International BioGENEius Challenge will be announced during the Tuesday Keynote Address at the 2019 BIO International Convention. Each winner will receive a $7,500 cash prize.

The BioGENEius Challenge is organized by the Biotechnology Institute, a U.S. based organization dedicated to biotechnology education. Generous supporting sponsors include Johnson & Johnson Innovation and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO).

About the Biotechnology Institute

The Biotechnology Institute is an independent, national nonprofit organization dedicated to education about the present and future impact of biotechnology. Its mission is to engage, excite and educate the public, particularly students and teachers, about biotechnology and its immense potential for solving human health, food and environmental problems. For more information, visit www.biotechinstitute.org.