Sacred Heart Greenwich announces that after a rigorous application and interview process, Ella E.’24 was admitted into the Regeneron High School Mentorship Program. This competitive program matches students with scientists at Regeneron, a biotech company specializing in the development of medicine for serious disease. Alongside their mentors, students in the program spend 6-7 weeks over the summer conducting their own research in Regeneron laboratories. The mentorship program was developed by Regeneron to inspire and train the next generation of scientists.
Ella will be working with Dr. Kehan Bao in the department of Metabolic and Muscle Diseases, and her research will focus on the area of genetics. In addition to her research, Ella will join other students and scientists in weekly discussions, enrichment activities, and didactic trainings. At the end of the summer, Ella will publish and present her findings to the public.
Ella’s work originated in her science research class, led by Upper School science research teacher, Mary Musolino. Her current research project is titled, “Studying the Inhibition of Genetic Proteins in C.elegans to Reduce the Occurrence of Obesity.” Ella conducted a thorough review of related literature and developed a research question and proposal for presentation at the Connecticut STEM Fair. Ella received highly favorable feedback from STEM judges, noting that her project was organized, thorough, and important to the field of study. Prior to the fair, Ella prepared her application to the prestigious Regeneron program. In her application, Ella wrote, “My dream is to be a surgeon and participate in medical research…Continuing my research at Regeneron will give me the opportunity to expand my knowledge on this topic and contribute to worldwide obesity studies.”
“Ella is a gifted researcher,” says Ms. Musolino. “She is passionate about conducting research due to its ability to make a positive impact in the lives of others.”
