As a junior in high school, one might not know exactly what he or she would like to do in his or her future. However, that is not the case for Moorestown Friends School junior Edward Gelernt.
Gelernt knew he wanted to make a contribution to scientific progress. After an internship with a cardiologist’s office, Gelernt became interested in heart disease and how it develops. After some research, he came up with an experiment and applied for a research grant.
In January, it was announced that Gelernt received the 2015 Cogito Research Award from Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth for his experiment. He is one of only 10 students in the United States to win the award, which includes a grant to fund his research.
“I was very excited to be awarded that opportunity,” Gelernt said.
Ten grants of $599 each were awarded to students from across the United States who submitted outstanding proposals for research in science, technology, engineering or math fields. A CTY judging panel selected the proposals from more than 185 student applications based on overall quality and promise to achieve compelling research results.
Student researchers will use the funds to purchase equipment, rent lab space or pay for other project-related needs. Gelernt’s research, which is also his MFS Capstone Project, will be supervised by Science and Engineering Department chair Barb Kreider. Also, Gelernt will blog about his progress on Cogito.org and submit a final report.
Gelernt found out about the Cogito Research Award from his mother. At first, he didn’t think much of it, but after his internship, he became very interested in the heart and looking at it at the molecular level. After doing research regarding heart disease, he came up with an experiment and then submitted it to Cogito.
Gelernt’s proposal is called “Effects of PON1 and ApoA-I Variants on Antioxidant Ability of HDL.”
Gelernt will test variants of high-density lipoprotein proteins, named in his proposal title, to determine which are most effective in preventing low-density lipoprotein oxidation. HDL is known as “good cholesterol” in part because it contains proteins that prevent LDL, or “bad cholesterol,” from oxidizing. When LDL oxidizes, it forms plaque in arteries that restricts blood flow and can lead to a heart attack or stroke. The knowledge he gains from this experiment he hopes can be used in blood tests that will enable doctors to assess individual patients’ risk of developing heart disease.
The hardest part for Gelernt was crafting the application. He said it can be very difficult to convey a complex subject in just a few paragraphs. He had to work hard to make what he wanted to do clear and to convey what he learned.
His favorite part, however, was gaining all the knowledge he did. He said doing the background research was fun, but the afterward was the most rewarding.
“Having acquired the knowledge and understanding what goes on inside the body, to me, that is a very satisfying feeling,” Gelernt said.
When he found out he was receiving the award for his experiment, Gelernt was excited. He hopes his work will help have an impact in scientific research.
“I was excited. I was humbled that I was selected to conduct research. I have always looked at science and its applications. I wanted to be a part of scientific progress and have an impact, and felt this was a great opportunity to be a part of this,” Gelernt said.
Gelernt won’t be starting his experiment until the summer.
At the moment, Gelernt’s aspiration is to continue in biomedical research, some day run his own lab, conduct experiments and be a part of scientific progress in some fashion. Though that is not necessarily set, he would like to continue down the biomedical research path.
First awarded in 2014, the CTY Cogito Research Awards are part of Cogito.org’s mission to foster the development of promising young scientists and create a community that includes peers as well as working scientists and mathematicians. Cogito features science, engineering, math and technology news as well as discussion forums. Find out more at Cogito.org.
