Yusuf Ai, a freshman at Fayetteville-Manlius High School, recently received multiple awards at the regional science fair for his independent project titled “Cancer Prediction Through Modeling: Understanding Environmental and Hereditary Factors.” With long-standing interests in using mathematics and computer science to explain biological processes, particularly in understanding why some people get sick and others don’t, Yusuf developed the skills he needed to tackle this topic through the encouragement of his biology and computer science teachers.
His biology teacher, Ms. Reichel, sparked his curiosity about gene function and their impact on health, while Mr. Phan, his computer science teacher, urged him to pursue additional projects outside of class. By combining these two fields of study, Yusuf was able to develop a comprehensive understanding of how changes in genetic DNA and environmental factors such as sunlight, radiation or pollution affect cancer risk.
After completing his research, Yusuf participated in the 44th Central New York Science and Engineering Fair held at the Syracuse Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) on April 7th 2024. His project received several accolades including the Regeneron Biomedical Science Award , IEEE Awards in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science , Le Moine Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Computer Science , and the Senior Division Commendation Medal.
Yusuf’s project “Predicting Cancer Through Modeling: Understanding Environmental and Hereditary Factors” earned him recognition