SHS Senior Lauren Singer Awarded Scholarship for Scientific Research

Lauren Singer, a senior at Scarsdale High School, was one of six outstanding students from the NY Metro area to win a college scholarship from the Child Mind Institute. The scholarships were awarded to those "who have demonstrated exceptional promise in science and a specific interest in neuroscience." The students each received a $1,000 scholarship, awarded at On the Shoulders of Giants, the nonprofit's annual scientific symposium, which took place at the 2016 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's annual meeting in New York City.

The awards were created to not only recognize outstanding achievement in science, and to nurture students' love of science and encourage them to continue their research and study of the brain.

Lauren provided this explanation of her research on autism:

"Previous studies showed that injections of a hormone called IGF-1 was effective in improving the social skills of individuals with autism. However, the injections were prohibitively expensive and could be invasive to some patients. My research tested a new compound in rats to see if it would induce the microglial cells in the brain to secrete IGF-1 on their own. I found that the treatment was successful. Additionally,
this compound is 75% less expensive and can be taken orally rather than as an injection, which makes the treatment less invasive. I chose to work on this project because I feel that scientists should think not only about creating effective treatments but also about ensuring that medication is economically accessible to everyone."

The summer following her junior year Lauren continued her research on autism to look for a biomarker in infants who have autism which has been previously identified through behavioral testing.

She did this research in the laboratory of Dr. Joseph Buxbaum at the Seaver Autism Center at Mount Sinai Hospital. At Scarsdale High School she was assisted by Ms. Schoenbrun, Mr. Prendergast, Mr. Szerlip, and Ms. Estersohn as part of the high school's science research program.

Lauren plans to major in cognitive science in college and continue to do research as an undergraduate.

About the Child Mind Institute
The Child Mind Institute is an independent nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. Our teams work every day to deliver the highest standards of care, advance the science of the developing brain, and empower parents, professionals and policymakers with resources to support children when and where they need it most. Together with our supporters, we're helping children reach their full potential in school and in life. We share all of our resources freely and do not accept any funding from the pharmaceutical industry. Learn more at childmind.org.