This year, genetics and mathematics research won top honors for Michael Viscardi and the team of Albert Shieh and Anne Lee in the 2005-06 Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology, the nation's premier high school science competition. The Siemens Westinghouse Competition, a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, is administered by the College Board. The winners were announced on Monday, December 5th at New York University, host of the 2005-06 Siemens Westinghouse Competition National Finals
Albert Shieh and Anne Lee won the team prize for developing an improved software package that analyzes genetic data. The team developed their project, SNiPer: Improved SNP Genotype Calling for Affymetrix 10K GeneChip Microarray Data, while interning at the Translational Genomics Research Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, where their mentors were Dietrich Stephan, David Craig and Matt Huentelman.
In the process of helping with lab work and data analysis, the students identified an opportunity to improve on a commercially developed software package designed to analyze high volume genetic data. They developed improved genetic analysis software - which their genomics lab now uses - that enables more accurate and efficient identification of the genes underlying inherited disorders in humans. The team then used their software to pinpoint the mutated gene that causes a childhood degenerative disorder.
The other national winners of the 2005-06 Siemens Westinghouse Competition include (Individuals) 20,000 scholarship - Luyi Zhao, Manchester, Missouri; 10,000 scholarship - Xue Feng, Nashville, Tennessee; (Teams) 40,000 scholarship - Huy Nguyen and Gerald Tiu, Fullerton, California; 20,000 scholarship - Amardeep Grewal, Beverly Hills, Michigan and Ran Li, Valley Stream, New York; 10,000 scholarship - Jennifer Ding, Rochester Hills, Michigan and Ang Li, Troy, Michigan.