2 Stepinac High School Students Earn Honor To Participate in Independent Medical Research Projects

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Feb. 24, 2016 - PRLog -- Two Stepinac High School junior students have earned the honor to participate in high-level independent medical research studies with renowned medical institutions based in New York City.

The rare opportunity is the result of an initiative launched two years ago by Stepinac designed to identify, prepare and link qualified students with top researchers to take part in leading-edge scientific studies.

Starting with the current spring semester, Harshal Shet of White Plains and Patrick Magliocchino of Thornwood are busy not only with a full plate of academic studies and extracurricular activities but are spending time as members of medical research teams comprising top physicians and other medical specialists whose work may open new doors in the treatment of drug addiction and ovarian cancer in women.  The studies are scheduled to be completed by the summer.

Shet has been assigned to Mount Sinai Hospital Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute and the Laboratory of Molecular Neuropsychopharmacology under the direction of Dr. Yasmin Hurd. The laboratory is working on research projects to understand the neurobiology (the scientific study of nerve and brain function) of drug addiction. In late January, Shet met with Benjamin Chadwick, a Ph.D. candidate who is leading the study and other team members. Following a tour of the lab, Chadwick provided an overview of the clinical relevant animal models and cutting-edge techniques that Shet will assist in studying.

Magliocchino is part of a research team at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center that is exploring the best way to treat bowel obstructions due to ovarian cancer in women. Led by Randy Gross, an advanced oncology nurse, the researchers are reviewing hundreds of previous cases of patients who have been treated over the past 20 years, using both surgical and non-surgical techniques, to determine which may be the most effective.

Prior to embarking on the study, Magliocchino toured the facilities and attended three team planning meetings.

Frank Portanova, Vice Principal for Curriculum and Academic Studies, noted that the school’s independent science research program, launched two years ago, is targeted to outstanding students who have expressed interest in the field of medical research. To qualify, a freshman needs to score an A average in a science class. Under the guidance of science instructor Elliott Lippner, the students spend about a year learning everything about what a research project entails, what is expected of them and honing in on a specific field they would like to study.

“At the same time, we guide them about how to identify and partner with a relevant researcher and how to interview for the exciting opportunity of working and making a contribution in a potentially ground-breaking medical study,” Portanova explained.

Currently, there are three sophomore students who are gong through the process in preparation of securing an independent research project next year.

The independent science research program follows the announcement in January of Stepinac’s plans to establish an Honors Academy which will be the first-of-its-kind in the region.

The Honors Academy’s three-year personalized learning program, which will get underway in the 2017 fall semester, will enable high achieving students to pursue advanced studies in either engineering, health sciences (medicine), economics/finance or law leading to potential careers.

”In an increasingly competitive college admissions market, it is important that Stepinac continue on the path of innovative learning to ensure our students remain highly competitive at the post-secondary level,” Portanova noted.

About Archbishop Stepinac High School

The mission of Archbishop Stepinac High School is to offer young men of the Archdiocese of New York a highly competitive academic and extracurricular program that will prepare them for college and leadership roles. The faculty and staff accomplish these objectives by pursuing excellence and creating a supportive, disciplined atmosphere with a strong sense of camaraderie and Christian values that is unique to the Stepinac experience. For more information, visit www.Stepinac.org.