Huntington Research Team Vies in Medical Marvels Contest

A team of five Huntington High School sophomore science research program students participated in North Shore-LIJ Health System’s recent Medical Marvels competition.

Anna Brosoff, Nina Cartwright, Caroline McCartney, Sabrina Palacios and Emily Shutman vied in the intellectual challenge that was held at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Manhasset.  The teenagers were accompanied by teacher Lori Kenny, who heads Huntington’s science research program.

This year’s competition focused on the “management of natural disasters.” Participants were given a hypothetical scenario and asked to develop a “comprehensive response plan” that included a technological/engineering component, a scientific research assessment and public policy (public health and communication) strategy addressing the three separate time frames, according to the contest rules

“The team looked at the preparedness before the storm, the immediate aftermath and plans for long-term recovery,” Mrs. Kenny said. “The students were judged on both their essay submission and their poster presentation. Together they did a superb job at presenting and submitted a highly competitive essay.”

The competition and awards ceremony that followed exposed the Huntington students to new ideas in how to go about incorporating various subject matters in a cohesive manner to solve an authentic potential dilemma.

“Although they did not take home a win this year the knowledge and team building skills they developed were top notch,” Mrs. Kenny said about her research students. “I could not be more proud of this hardworking team.”

The Medical Marvels program is designed to encourage freshmen and sophomores to pursue career pathways in science, technology, engineering and math. This marked the second year of the contest.

The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is the research wing of the North Shore-LIJ Health System. “The Institute is composed of more than 1,500 clinicians, scientists and staff who work in laboratories and clinical research programs in collaboration with clinicians and patients throughout the many facilities of North Shore-LIJ,” according to the organization’s website. “Every year, more than 15,000 patients and volunteers participate in over 2,000 research studies. We stand at the threshold of an extraordinary time in medicine and The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is a growing force in research innovation, imagination and discovery.”