Research on Alzheimer’s Disease Wins Grade 12 Surrey Student Entry to National Biotech Competition
April 9, 2009
For release April 9, 2009Research on Alzheimer’s Disease Wins Grade 12 Surrey Student Entry to National Biotech Competition
Innovative research by a 17-year-old Surrey BC, Sands Secondary School student that could lead to an improved treatment for Alzheimer’s disease has earned first place in the 2009 Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge (SABC) in the British Columbia region.
Grade 12 student Yang (Linda) Liu won the $3000 cash prize with a study into the tangling of a protein that causes Alzheimer’s and many other neurological diseases. She will travel to Ottawa to compete in the national SABC competition May 5th to be judged by a panel of experts at the National Research Council. The national winners will be announced at a ceremony in Ottawa on May 6th.
Ms. Liu discovered that rhubarb extract possesses the ability to inhibit the clumping of a tau protein. Aggregation of this tau protein is implicated in the cause of many neurological diseases, among them Alzheimer’s, ALS, Parkinson’s, and others, and this research has potential applications in their treatment.
This is the second consecutive win for Ms. Liu in the competition, having placed second in 2008 as a member of a team that performed research on human melanoma cells.
Cash prizes were also awarded to:
2nd place ($2500):
Perri Tutleman, R.C. Palmer Secondary School, Richmond, for a project that examines the effects of combination therapies in breast cancer with a view to providing more effective, lower doses of cancer drugs;
3rd place ($2000):
Claire Edgcumbe, Kitsilano Secondary School, Vancouver, for a project that examines the effect of antiepileptic drugs on the growth of neurons in the developing brain;
4th place ($1500):
Forson Chan, St. George’s School, Vancouver, for a project that examines the mechanism of antibiotic resistance and antibiotic efficacy;
and
5th place ($1000):
Jamuna Yoganathan and Joey Chan, J.N. Burnett Secondary School, Richmond, for a project that examines the safety of organic versus conventional chicken for human consumption.
“What a remarkable achievement not only for the students, but also for mentors and employers who have the opportunity to shape the talent required for tomorrow’s success,” commented Norma Biln, BioTalent Canada Board Member and CEO of Augurex Life Sciences Corp., at the LifeSciences BC Awards Ceremony last night. “To date, over 3,300 students have experienced real-world research through this challenge – it’s a really a fantastic opportunity for budding scientists.”
“LifeSciences BC is a strong supporter of encouraging more students to consider careers in biotechnology, and this competition is one of the world’s premier avenues to supporting their success,” said Karimah Es Sabar, President, LifeSciences BC. “The students in this competition represent some of the brightest young scientists in Canada and I congratulate them all on their outstanding achievements.”
Background
Now in its 16th year, the Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge is a high-level competition that introduces students to the real world of biotechnology by carrying out research projects of their own design. An SABC program has been held in Vancouver since 1999.
The competition mirrors the real world of scientific research by:
- Requiring students to submit research proposals for evaluation by a scientific evaluation committee;
- Providing up to $200 in advance funding to approved student projects;
- Assigning mentors to each team to provide expert advice and access to equipment and supplies; and
Follow-up studies have found that many of the students who compete go on to careers in biotechnology, healthcare, agriculture, and the environment.
More than 100 organizations Canada-wide are partnered in this educational outreach initiative.
Regional competition sponsors:
National Research Council – Industrial Research Assistance Program
- LifeSciences BC
- British Columbia Institute of Technology
- BC Cancer Agency
National competition supporters:
- Sanofi pasteur
- BioTalent Canada
- National Research Council of Canada
- Genome Canada
- Canadian Institutes for Health Research
- the Canada Foundation for Innovation; and
- the Canadian Louis Pasteur Foundation
The project is funded in part by the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program.
For more information or to book an interview:
Regional Co-ordinator:
Jennifer Siegfried
Phone: 604-602-5227 (office); 604-779-4526 (mobile);
Email: jsiegfried@lifesciencesbc.ca
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About Sanofi Pasteur Limited and sanofi-aventis
Sanofi Pasteur Limited is the vaccines business of the sanofi-aventis Group, the third largest pharmaceutical company in the world. Sanofi Pasteur Limited has a long history of supporting science education at the post-secondary level. In 1994, it recognized the need to engage younger students in biotechnology education, and the initial SABC program was run in conjunction with the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s first meeting in Canada. Since then, the program has expanded to 14 events across Canada and has involved thousands of students. As lead sponsor of the SABC, Sanofi Pasteur is proud to collaborate with partners in government, industry and academia to get high school students engaged in biotechnology. Sanofi Pasteur Limited is Canada’s only full-scale vaccine company, researching, developing and manufacturing in Canada a broad range of human vaccines. With over 1,000 highly-skilled employees, it is one of Canada’s oldest and largest biotech companies. For more information: www.sanofi-pasteur.ca
About BioTalent Canada
BioTalent Canada helps Canada’s bio-economy industry thrive globally. As a non-profit national organization of innovators leading our bio-economy, BioTalent Canada anticipates needs and creates new opportunities, delivering human resources tools, information and skills development to ensure the industry has access to job-ready people. BioTalent Canada is a Canadian sector council—one of many partnership organizations created to address skills-development issues in key sectors of the economy. For more information: www.biotalent.ca or Colette Rivet, Executive Director, BioTalent Canada
613-235-1402 x 226; coletter@biotalent.ca
About LifeSciences BC
LifeSciences British Columbia supports and represents the biopharmaceutical, medical device, bioproducts, bioenergy and greater life sciences community of British Columbia through leadership, advocacy and promotion of our world-class science and industry. Via active facilitation of partnering and investment into the life sciences sector, British Columbia is fast becoming a global life sciences leader. LifeSciences British Columbia is a not-for-profit, non-government, industry-funded association. www.lifesciencesbc.ca
