WKU News

Twenty-eight students from The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science at Western Kentucky University (WKU) presented their research in Louisville at the Kentucky Junior Academy of Science (KJAS) meeting, held in tandem with the Kentucky Academy of Science (KAS) Annual Meeting. Fifty students from across the state of Kentucky presented their research through KJAS, and seven were chosen as delegates for the 2026 American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) conference held in Phoenix, AZ in February. Two of those seven students who will represent the Commonwealth at AJAS are from The Gatton Academy:

Chris Gachagua (’26, Model Laboratory School) presented “Assessing the Effects of Persulfate Oxidation on Fluorescent Tracers” in geology. Gachagua is mentored by Lee Ann Bledsoe, Associate Director of the Crawford Hydrology Lab at WKU.

Malleshwar Jayaraman Suresh (’27, Western Hills High School) presented “Metabolic Reprogramming of Inflammatory Macrophages through PPAR-Alpha to Promote Digit Regeneration” in microbiology. Suresh is mentored by University of Kentucky faculty Dr. Jennifer Simkin in the College of Medicine.

The following Gatton Academy students also shared their research via poster or oral presentations:

Isiah Byrd (’26, Spencer County HS) presented “Investigation into Catalytic Epoxidation Using Biomimetic Iron Complexes” in chemistry.

Sai Charan Chouta (’27, Larry A. Ryle HS) and Suren Dhasarathan (’27, Greenwood HS) presented “Engineering Autologous Cardiac Constructs Through 3D Bioprinting to Address Organ Shortages and Immune Rejection” in physiology and biochemistry.

Sai Charan Chouta (’27, Larry A. Ryle HS) and Suren Dhasarathan (’27, Greenwood HS) presented “Modeling Diffusion of Oxygen, Nutrients, or Drugs Through Scaffolds Using Fick’s Laws” in mathematics.

Leah Chen (’27, Bowling Green HS) presented “Bioinspired CO2 Capture: Mimicking Carbonic Anhydrase with a Zn(II)-Histidine Metal-Organic Framework” in chemistry.

Partha Krishiv Dukka (’26, duPont Manual HS) presented “Biomimetic Iron-Complexes for Selective Sulfoxidation of Thioanisoles” in chemistry.

Sena Er (’26, Bowling Green HS) presented “Parent-Child Conversations About Peer Exclusion in Latino and European American Families: Ethnic and Protective Effect” in psychology.

Vedant Garg (’26, duPont Manual HS) presented “Prediction of Glioma Tissue Stiffness Using Metabolomic Signatures” in computer and information sciences.

Ismail Gilani (’27, Taylor County HS) presented “Heterodinuclear Metal-Organic Coordination Polymers as Catalysts for Photoreduction of Carbon Dioxide in Visible Light” in chemistry.

Samuel Gordon (’27, Daviess County HS) and Prthu Naik (’26, duPont Manual HS) presented “Oscillations of a Fluid-Filled Rolling Cylinder on a Tautochrone Ramp” in physics and astronomy.

Jiwoo Kim (’27, Model Laboratory School) presented “The Mechanistic Effects of Isoflurane on Crayfish Synaptic Transmission” in physiology and biochemistry.

Youngwoo Kim (’26, Model Laboratory School) and Jiwoo Kim (’27, Model Laboratory School) presented “Mechanistic Insights Into LPS-Induced Electrical Potential Modulation: Quantifying Ionic Contributions Through Modeling” in physiology and biochemistry.

Youngwoo Kim (’26, Model Laboratory School) and Jiwoo Kim (’27, Model Laboratory School) presented “STEM Activities for Students: Membrane Potential, Simulations, and Invertebrate Behaviors” in science education.

Sanam Krishnani (’26, Sacred Heart Academy) and Dylan Henry (’26, Trinity HS) presented “Sex-Based Differences in Neuroinflammatory Responses to Chronic Sleep Fragmentation in Mice” in health sciences.

Prthu Naik (’26, duPont Manual HS) presented “Particle Tracking in a Cloud Chamber Using a Stereoscopic Camera System” in physics and astronomy.

Soham Patel (’27, LaRue County HS), Anik Pansuria (’27, Greenwood HS), and Arthur Elliott (’27, duPont Manual HS) presented “In-Silico Design of Chitosan-Ceria Nanoparticles for Targeted Curcumin Delivery Across the Blood-Brain Barrier” in cellular and molecular biology.

Amogh Patnaik (’26, South Warren HS) presented “Computational Modeling of Free Association with Word2Vec and Frequency Analysis” in psychology.

Helen Rose (’26, Henry Clay HS) presented “Historical Analysis of Kentucky’s Tropical-System Induced Inland Precipitation, Drought, and Flooding” in environmental sciences.

Ava Smith (’26, Mayfield HS) presented “Isolating the Role V-ATPase in Metastasis of the Air Sac Primordium in Drosophila” in physiology and biochemistry.

Malleshwar Jayaraman Suresh (’27, Western Hills HS) and Anthony Lin (’27, Rowan County Senior HS) presented “Mathematical Modeling of Diabetic Foot Ulcers with Individual Patient Data” in mathematics.

Sophia Thomas (’26, Sacred Heart Academy) presented “The Connection of Yeast to Tumors: Exploring Boi1/Boi2/s Role in Cell Cycle Control and Cancer” in cellular and molecular biology.

Judah Thornton (’27, Lincoln County HS) and Aron DeMarse (’27, Greenwood HS) presented “Evaluating Pain Through the Face: Human and Machine Coding of Genuine and Posed Pain Expressions” in psychology.

Amber Wu (’26, Calloway County HS) presented “Matrix Valued Trigonometric Functions on Time Scales” in mathematics.

Ryan Yang (’26, Rowan County Senior HS) presented “Utilizing Machine Learning Techniques to Model and Predict Diabetes Based on Demographic Data” in health sciences.

“The Gatton Academy remains indebted to Melony Stambaugh, Amanda Fuller, the Kentucky Academy of Science Governing Board, and countless volunteers at the University of Louisville for facilitating this fantastic experience for our students,” said Sam Earls, Assistant Director of Academic Services at The Gatton Academy. “KJAS is the first professional conference that many Gatton students attend, and it is a wonderful opportunity to present their work, refine their skills, and network with current and future research leaders.”

Established in 1914, the Kentucky Academy of Science brings scientists from across Kentucky together to share research and exchange ideas while also empowering scientists to share their work in their communities. KAS awards research grants and recognizes outstanding science education and outreach provided by its 4000+ members across the Commonwealth.

About The Gatton Academy: Established in 2007, The Gatton Academy is Kentucky’s first residential two-year program for gifted and talented juniors and seniors. The Gatton Academy’s students enroll as juniors and are full-time WKU students pursuing their interests in advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Gatton Academy is a recipient of the 2022 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award from Insight Into Diversity Magazine and the Innovation Partnership Award from the National Consortium for Secondary STEM Schools.