Winsor Senior Named Regeneron Top 300 Scholar

Winsor senior Allison Chan ’23 was recently named a Regeneron Science Talent Search Top 300 scholar for her project, “Gut Microbial Metabolism of Putrescine Is Associated With Circulating GABA and Odds of Depression.” The Regeneron Science Talent Search is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. Allison was one of 300 scholars named, and one of 17 scholars chosen from Massachusetts. 

While she was always interested in science in general, Allison said her interest peaked after taking biology in Class V. Aware of the importance and awareness of mental health issues in her generation, she became intrigued by the prominent link between mental health and gut health, and began reading studies about gut-brain access in patients with depression.

She began interning at a lab at Harvard Institute of Mental Health the summer after her sophomore year, where she developed a relationship with the lab and worked with a mentor. Last fall, Allison submitted a 20-page research report summarizing her years of research and observations.

 

Associate Director of College Counseling Jennifer Graham, who sponsored Allison in her proposal, had this to say: 

“Something that really impressed me about Allison was her initiative. She comes in with great questions, asks for feedback, and implements the feedback. She is someone who is going to be a great researcher. She identifies resources and questions, and takes the ball and runs with it.”

Allison intends to continue research in the biological sciences. She is interested in studying biochemistry and computational biology.

On behalf of all of us at The Winsor School, Congratulations, Allison!