North Shore High School seniors, Kaitlin Ho and Eli Weseley-Jones, have earned recognition as 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholars, joining the ranks of 300 high school researchers honored nationwide in this prestigious competition. Each scholar will receive $2,000, with an additional $2,000 awarded to their school for each participant.
The STS, the nation’s oldest and most esteemed science and mathematics competition for high school seniors, saw nearly 2,500 entrants from 795 high schools across the United States and abroad. Kaitlin and Eli’s achievements underscore the strength of North Shore High School’s science program and the dedication of its students and faculty.
Dr. Molly Mordechai, the students’ science research teacher, emphasized the dedication of her students to academic rigor.
“Eli and Kaitlin have been standout researchers in my program since their freshman year,” she said. “Being named Top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search is a testament to their dedication and passion for scientific discovery.”
Kaitlin’s project, “Magnesium Magic: The Rescue of the Parkinson’s Model of Drosophila melanogaster with MgCl₂ Supplementation,” explored the potential of magnesium chloride in combating the effects of Parkinson’s disease. Using fruit flies as a model, her study revealed that dietary supplementation with magnesium chloride improved neurological health, slowed neuronal degeneration, and increased lifespan. Her findings suggest magnesium chloride could delay brain aging and the onset of Parkinson’s disease.
Eli’s research, “The Misunderstood Math of Medical Tests: Improving Understanding of Conditional Probability in Screening Tests,” addressed the challenges patients face in interpreting medical screening results. Inspired by an article on prenatal screening tests by economist Emily Oster, Eli investigated how presenting medical risk information through diagrams and videos impacted patients’ understanding and anxiety. His study demonstrated that these visual aids improved comprehension of conditional probabilities but also had unintended effects, such as reducing participants’ likelihood of pursuing additional testing.
“The entire science department staff and I were immensely proud of Eli and Kaitlin,” Superintendent Chris Zublionis wrote in a statement. “This highlighted the school’s increasingly strong science program. Moreover, it is an opportunity to celebrate the vast creativity and intellect of Eli and Kaitlin, whose projects will clearly help society in powerful ways.”
Eli shared the inspiration behind his project, explaining that his goal was to reduce anxiety in patients.
“Screening tests often result in false positives, which can cause unnecessary anxiety,” he said. “I wanted to explore how presenting the real risk of a positive screening test result could help people better understand the probabilities involved and reduce their anxiety.”
To test his hypothesis, Eli created an online survey using Qualtrics. Participants were presented with a hypothetical cancer screening scenario and received varying levels of information about the risk.
He found that providing the actual probability of having cancer after a positive test result reduced anxiety and improved understanding of the risk. However, it also made participants less likely to seek additional testing—a result he found disappointing.
“I was hoping to lower people’s anxiety while maintaining their intentions to go for follow-up testing,” Eli said. “The fact that my manipulation led to reduced testing intentions is something I didn’t expect and would want to address in future research.”
Despite the challenges, Eli described the project as a rewarding experience.
“It was very fun to work on,” he said. “Dr. Mordechai was incredibly supportive throughout the process, and I feel well-prepared for future academic pursuits because of North Shore’s science program.”
Eli’s excitement about being named a Regeneron Scholar was palpable. “I found out during band practice,” he recalled. “My mom texted me, and shortly after, Dr. Mordechai and another research student came into the band room to share the news. It was an unforgettable moment.”
The recognition comes as Kaitlin and Eli prepare for the next stage of the competition. On January 23, 40 of the 300 scholars will be announced as finalists. These finalists will compete for over $1.8 million in awards during a week-long event in Washington, D.C., from March 6-12.
Eric Contreras, North Shore High School’s principal praised the scholars’ commitment to inquiry and innovation.
“Their awards are a celebration of their indefatigable inquiry, the mentorship of Dr. Mordechai,” he said, “and the collective work of all our science teachers in creating robust, dynamic, and exciting learning experiences in science.”