As is fitting for a member of the MySpace generation, Shivani Sud has the individual in mind. She developed a model for assessing a person’s genetic profile, first to determine individual risk for recurrence of colon cancer and then to tailor a treatment regime. Sud’s research won her the top prize Tuesday in the Intel Science Talent Search: a $100,000 scholarship from the Intel Foundation. The 17-year-old from Durham, N.C., received her award at a black-tie gala in Washington, D.C., honoring the Talent Search finalists.
Second place and a $75,000 scholarship went to Graham Van Schaik, 17, of Columbia, S.C. Inspired by working in his grandmother’s garden, Van Schaik investigated the persistence of pyrethroids, a class of pesticides, on tomatoes. He also designed two experiments tracking effects of the pesticides on breast cancer cells and nerve cells.