Victory @ The Science Fair
Breaking News!!!! I just won 2nd place at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair (LISEF)!! It was the first time I ever entered a real science competition, and I worked on my project for over six months… yep, SIX. That’s longer than some people train for a marathon!
So remember my last blog on GLP-1 and my work around understanding whether genetic variants in GLP-1 receptors can predict who will respond to GLP-1 agonist treatments? Basically, I was trying to figure out if tiny differences in our GLP-1 receptor gene could explain why some people respond really well to GLP-1 meds—and others don’t.
As a reminder, GLP-1 is a hormone that helps your pancreas release insulin and tells your brain when you’re full. But some people have genetic variants in their GLP1R gene—the one that makes the GLP-1 receptor. If that receptor doesn’t work right (because of a mutation), the medicine might not work as well. But if the receptor is super responsive? The medicine could be extra effective.
So what was the outcome of my science project and all the research I analyzed? YES—your genes might help predict how well GLP-1 treatments will work for you! That’s what scientists call a biomarker, and it could help make medicine more personal and precise someday.
So if you are reading this and wondering if Science Fairs are your thing, the immediate answer is YES. It’s not for everyone but if you are curious, enjoy learning new things and testing out hypotheses, check out a few key things you should be aware of before going down that route.
Behind the Scenes: How I Made It Happen
Here’s what most people don’t see when you walk by a cool science fair project:
It’s a Big Commitment. I started researching in the fall and kept going all the way through winter and spring. I read, re-read, and read even more scientific papers (which were sometimes full of words I had to Google), made charts, studied gene variants, and learned how GLP-1 works in the body.
Choose a Sponsor. In order to compete at LISEF competition, I not only had to get buy in from my school, but I had to get a teacher to sponsor my project - and I had the perfect person who not only supported my work but also represented our school on the day of the competition - Shout out to Dr. Messina - you rock!
Have Fun, Be Creative! You get to design and craft a tri-fold science fair poster that is your showstopper - it’s your one opportunity to showcase your research, data, and any related diagrams / content related to your project. I wasn’t sure what it was supposed to look like so I searched Google for some design ideas and then took it from there - I had a blast making mine, using my school colors as the backdrop, with key diagrams including a super cool one of how GLP-1 travels through the body. What I liked about the presentation was bringing my project to life in front of the other students and judges
Practice, Practice & Practice Some More. For the fair, I had to memorize a 6- to 7-minute speech explaining my project. That meant practicing it over and over (and over) until I could say it confidently—even when my little brother was making faces at me while I practiced in the living room.
After presenting, the judges asked me tough questions. Things like:
“What other genes might be involved in this pathway?”
“How would you test this hypothesis in real life?”
“Why do you think personalized medicine is important?”
On the day of the Thermo Fischer Long Island Science & Engineering Fair (March 2025), I was nervous. I was really nervous. I had never done anything like this before. It was the first time I was on my own with no safety net to catch me - it would be just me and the judges. And then I remembered all the hours spent researching and reading, and then practicing my pitch to the judges, over and over, over and over. I got this, I knew my research, I felt life a real scientist!
The Big Day.
On the day of the science fair, I was so nervous I thought my heart would explode. But when I got up to present, something clicked. I knew my stuff, I believed in my project, and I actually had fun sharing what I’d learned.
AND THEN… I found out I got SECOND PLACE in my whole category!
There were older kids there, even high schoolers, so this was a huge deal for me.
