Blair places second most Intel semifinalists in the nation

Thirteen Blazers have been named among 300 semifinalists in the 63rd Intel Science Talent Search, administered by Science Service.  MCPS had a total of 15 semifinalists in the competition, a substantial portion of the 23 semifinalists from Maryland.  Blair had more semifinalists than any high school in the nation except for Stuyvesant High School in New York City. 
 
Blair's semifinalists, all seniors, and their projects titles:
 
· Melis Anahtar, Microfluidic Device for Rapid Isolation of Pure Leukocyte Populations
· Easha Anand, Interactions Between the Amyloid Precursor Protein and the NMDA Receptor: A Possible Biophysical Basis for Alzheimer's Disease
· Aditi Bhaskar, The Relationship Between Outer Radiation Belt Psi Database Variables
· Elena Chung, A Novel Prebiotic Route to Pyrimidine Synthesis: A Hydrothermal Threshold to the RNA World
· Lauren Cohen, Novel Algorithms for Surface Plasmon Resonance Data Processing in a ParallelMultitask Environment
· Han Hu, Cross-Country Empirical Analysis of Scarcity of Long-Term Credit in Developing Countries and Factors Affecting Countries' Access to Such Credit
· John McManigle, Using Immunocytochemistry to Study the Effect of Estrogen on Amyloid Protein in Brain Cells
· Jessica Shang, Element Partitioning Between Olivine and Melt at 1400-1450oC
· Joshua Stern, Water Indicators in Sirenum Terra and Around the Argyre Impact Basin, Mars
· Gordon Su, The Effects of Economic Globalization on Income Inequality in Post-Mao China
· Stanley Wang, Development of a Siderophore-based Optical Array Biosensor for Detection of Pathogenic Bacteria
· Elliott Wolf, The Use of Racial Profiling by the Maryland State Police in Drug Interdiction, 1995-2002
· Kenneth Yan, Identification of New Targets for HIV-1 Antivirals Using a Model Retrovirus in Yeast
 
The Intel Science Talent Search is one of the most renowned and prestigious science competitions for American high school students.  Those who entered the contest competed against a record 1,652 applicants from 36 states and D.C., according to an MCPS press release.
 
Each of those who placed will receive $1,000 for their achievements, and Blair will receive $1,000 per semifinalist to be used for the school's science and math programs.  Forty finalists will be announced Jan 28 for another round of judging, and the winner will be announced Mar 16 at a black tie banquet.