By Olivia Flaherty-Lovy, Editor-in-Chief
@ofl_courant
If you asked NCHS students about their summer jobs, most would probably mention long hours at a pool, wrangling energetic children, and lots of sunscreen. For senior Sachi Krishna, though, her average summer day also included brain splicing, rabbit ultrasounds, and stereological quantification of neural cells. From nine to five, every weekday for the past two summers, Sachi has been volunteering at a research lab at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York. Using rabbits to simulate infants, Sachi and her team have been conducting research on intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), a neurological issue that affects premature babies.
Sachi began looking for local research opportunities during her sophomore year, and has now spent the past two summers volunteering at the lab. During the school year, she is more pressed for time, but continues to spend two to three afternoons a month helping with research. “I’ve always loved science, especially biology and chemistry, and I wanted to find a way to incorporate both,” Sachi said. “It’s certainly a commitment, but I really like helping to produce experiments on such a large scale.”
This past fall, on September 6, 2018, Sachi’s dedication was rewarded when a paper she helped write was published in the Oxford Neuroscience Journal. The paper focused on how the inhibition of the production of an enzyme in the premature infant brain helps re-establish neuronal growth after IVH has occurred. “I provided about a lot of the data and cell counts, made graphics, and helped write paragraphs that explained my data,” Sachi said. “It was very exciting for me to be able to see my name in the journal.”
Sachi’s teachers have certainly noticed how her enthusiasm and passion for science have carried over to her performance in the classroom. “Sachi is one of the most motivated and dedicated students I have had,” AP Chemistry teacher Laura Cascioli said. “I really loved her resilience and perseverance. They’re qualities that will definitely help her go far.”
Not only does Sachi plan to continue to volunteer at the lab throughout the school year, but this fall, she and senior Meghan Kloud founded the New Canaan High School Science Team, an afterschool club that meets on Wednesdays at 2:05 in room 305. “The Science Team is open to all people who love science and want to explore new discoveries in the science field,” Meghan said. “We’re planning to compete in the National Science Bowl, a national academic competition testing knowledge in all scientific fields, and we’re also organizing guest speakers and field trips related to science.”
For students who have an interest in science but can’t sacrifice the time to join the Science Team or construct intense scientific research outside of school, the Science Research elective, taught by Ms. Jessica Zych, is another option to learn the skills of science research. “The class allows students to explore topics that they are genuinely interested that they wouldn’t get a chance to study in a regular science class,” Ms. Zych said. “Students learn how to read primary literature in science, which allows them to really explore their interests and hopefully cultivate a love for science.”
For Sachi, the time commitment of her research is well worth the reward of knowing that her work has the potential to make a difference. “The work I do here has such a huge impact and is really fascinating,” she said. “It helps me understand what I want to do and has solidified my interest in neuroscience.”
