61st Annual STS (2001–2002)
Finalists
Raminder Kaur Parihar

NEW YORK
Raminder Kaur Parihar, 18, of Floral Park, entered the Intel Science Talent Search with a research project in medicine and health that she hopes eventually will contribute to discovering the causes of Parkinson's disease. Although the cause of the neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease is not known, several theories include the notion of "glutamate excitotoxicity." Glutamate is an amino acid that functions as a neurotransmitter in the mature nervous system. Remi's project, carried out in the Department of Neurosurgical Surgery at New York's Montefiore Hospital, directly addresses the question of how the actions of glutamate change with age. She reports evidence that the blocking of a particular glutamate receptor, or maintaining it in an immature state, could prevent or delay the progression of the disease. At the Bronx High School of Science, Remi is a member of the science club and the Indian Cultural Society. She has also produced an award-winning paper for the Metropolitan New York Math Fair. She has done hospital volunteer work for two summers and wants to become a doctor. The daughter of Surjit and Kamljit Parihar, Remi hopes to study at Johns Hopkins University.