Indian-Americans are a force to reckon with in STEM fields. This was again proved when two Indian-American researchers bagged Virginia’s top science award. The award which honors the academic excellence and entrepreneurial spirit of Virginians in STEM careers choose to felicitate Arun J Sanyal and Parthik Naidu for their contribution and deep commitment towards the betterment of human health globally.
They were among 6 people selected by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam for the 2018 Outstanding STEM (which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)Awards.
While the 18-year-old Parthik Naidu developed a software to study 3D interactions of cancer, Arun Sanyal developed training programmes in liver disease diagnosis and treatment.
Sanyal is a pioneer in identifying the mechanisms, clinical outcomes and management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH) and metabolic syndrome, a disease of increasing prevalence and global consequences. To address this, he has developed training programmes in liver disease diagnosis and treatment and works to incorporate them in primary care settings.
He was selected for the Virginia Outstanding Scientist award for his deep commitment to the betterment of human health globally via science, education and public policy.
A freshman studying computer science at Standford Universty, Mr. Naidu was selected as a STEM Phenom for his sharing of knowledge with others which inspired those around him to become change-makers in addition to his application of STEM principles.
The 17-year old’s machine learning software which studies 3D interactions of cancer is a computational tool called DNALoopR. This tool is faster, less expensive and more accurate analyses the biological patterns of cancer DNA than laboratory tools that currently exist.
DNALoopR gives unprecedented insight into the inner workings of cancer, thus helping doctors create personalized treatments for millions of patients.
Governor Northam emphasized the necessity of recognizing such pioneering research when he said, “celebrating the academic excellence and entrepreneurial spirit of these Virginians helps showcase how STEM innovations tie into our everyday lives”.
It also highlights the profound contribution that STEM makes to Virginia families and our economy. I thank these extraordinary awardees and everyone who works hard to make Virginia a leader in these important fields, Mr. Northam added.
Source: NDTV