SCHOOL NEWS

court. Teammate and sophomore Katelyn Choi said, “On the court, Sadie is a very focused and competitive player, but off the court and during team bondings she is the goofiest person I’ve ever met and always knows how to make the team laugh.”

Coach D’ Antonio is confident about Sadie’s game on the court and her athleticism and basketball IQ that helps her strategize. “I think it’s awesome that Sadie is our leading scorer. As a starter, the point guard and our points and assist leader, her age really says a lot about the future of our program,” said Coach D’ Antonio.

Sadie admires her older teammates and they inspire her. “I want to be the best I can and looking up to other basketball players motivates me to work harder. They work really hard so it makes me work really hard seeing how far people can go. I want to motivate my team and radiate positivity,” she said.

When off the court Sadie likes to spend time with family and her dog Barkley. She enjoys bike riding and watching her favorite player James Harden lead the 76ers to victory. —Submitted by JerEcho

Jericho’s Kulviwat Receives Top Prize At ISEF

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Society for Science recently announced that Jericho High School student Natasha Kulviwat was awarded a top prize at the 2023 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Natasha received the Gordon R. Moore award of $50,000 for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations for her search for biomarkers to help prevent suicides.

By analyzing de-identified brain tissue from 20 people, Natasha measured levels of two proteins, cytokine and claudin-5, and found that neuroinflammation and claudin-5 were increased in the brains of suicide cases. Her work suggests that high levels of the protein claudin-5 could serve as pre-markers for suicide and that certain anti-inflammatory drugs might decrease claudin-5 levels.

“Natasha used wet-bench and computational research investigations to measure claudin-5 and cytokines physiological relationships in suicide. She observed neuroinflammation and increased claudin-5 in post-mortem suicide brain tissue,” said Dr. Serena McCalla, Jericho’s Science Research Coordinator. “Her work suggests that high levels of claudin-5 may serve as a biomarker for suicide and elucidated that certain anti-inflammatory drugs might decrease claudin-5 levels. We are very proud of her work ethic, determination, and perseverance in science research.”

—Submitted by the Jericho Union Free School District