Hunter Research Students Reach Record-Breaking Success at NYC Terra STEM Fair

Hunter College High School’s research students continue to distinguish themselves with exceptional achievement on the city and national stage.

This year, 12 Hunter students submitted projects to the NYC Terra STEM Fair. Of those, 10 advanced to the preliminary round, seven were named finalists, and an extraordinary four students have now qualified for the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the highest number of delegates from any New York City high school. These students will represent Hunter in Phoenix this May.

Kaya P. (Grade 12)
Semaglutide and “Fake” Semaglutide in a Drosophila Model of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity
Kaya’s project has earned national recognition; she was also named a Top 40 finalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search for this work.

Danny S. (Grade 12)
Identifying Novel Cell Signaling Components Required for KIF5B-RET-Driven Lung Cancer: A Genetic Approach
Danny’s research was also recognized with a first-place award at the New York State Science and Engineering Fair.

Kaya and Danny have both conducted research at the Das Lab at Mount Sinai since the spring of 10th grade. Beyond their individual accomplishments, they play an important leadership role by mentoring younger Hunter researchers, currently training two 10th graders and two 11th graders in advanced lab work.

Simone M. (Grade 12)
LC-MS Metabolic Profiling of North American Aquilegia Species Coupled with Computational Analysis to Identify Novel 15-LOX-A Inhibitors for Neurodegenerative Disease Treatment
Simone conducts her research at Lehman College, integrating laboratory and computational methods to explore new therapeutic pathways.

Ethan G. (Grade 10)
A New Method to Measure Serum Drug Levels to Improve the Safety of Cancer Therapies
Ethan’s project began as an 8th grade science fair idea and has evolved through years of persistence and initiative. After independently connecting with a research lab, he has continued refining his work; he also reached the Terra finals last year as a 9th grader.

Hunter’s research program continues to foster not only scientific excellence but also mentorship, curiosity, and long-term dedication to discovery. We congratulate these students on their remarkable achievements and look forward to cheering them on at ISEF this spring.