HS Senior Heading to International Science and Engineering Fair
The North Shore School District is proud to announce that Kaitlin Ho, a senior at North Shore High School, is heading to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair is the world’s largest and most prestigious pre-college STEM research competition, organized by the Society for Science. Top high school students from around the globe showcase their research projects at this event. This year, ISEF will take place in Columbus, Ohio, with up to 1,800 participants from countries worldwide.
Science Research teacher Dr. Molly Mordechai shared, “ISEF hosts regional fairs throughout the world. Kaitlin submitted her research to the New York State Science and Engineering Fair (NYSSEF) and was among the 20–40% of students invited back to present in the second round. There, she won first place and qualified for a spot at ISEF, making her an official ISEF 2025 finalist.”
Kaitlin’s research took place over the summer in a lab at LIU under the mentorship of Dr. Theodore Brummel. She worked with fruit flies genetically modified to exhibit Parkinson’s disease symptoms as they age. She supplemented their diet (and that of a control group of normal flies) with magnesium chloride to examine its effects. Remarkably, the flies that consumed magnesium chloride long-term maintained better neurological health and neuromuscular fitness and lived significantly longer. Surprisingly, this effect was also observed in normal flies.
Dr. Mordechai added, “Kaitlin had already learned many of the techniques for working with fruit flies prior to starting her research at LIU. She used the same type of flies in her research class during her sophomore year and brought a wealth of experience with her into the lab in her junior year. While other students were still learning the ropes, Kaitlin was able to hit the ground running. This highlights the kind of opportunities we provide our students here at North Shore High School.”
Principal Eric Contreras stated, “We are proud of Kaitlin for her hard work and scientific accomplishments. This is a testament to Dr. Mordechai’s dedication to guiding, mentoring, and supporting our student researchers. It also reflects the strength of our science research program and the overall excellence and creativity of our science department.”
Kaitlin is excited to attend ISEF for a second time. Last year, she won 3rd place in the Animal Sciences category at ISEF 2024 with a project on long-term cocoa supplementation that rescued the Alzheimer’s disease model in Drosophila melanogaster. Kaitlin shared, “I’m excited to share my work at ISEF again and meet more like-minded student researchers. I hope to make as many friends and memories as I did last year.”
Congratulations and best of luck to Kaitlin! Go Vikings Go!
Photos by Shelly Newman