Pioneer Academics is a research program where high school students around the world join a small cohort with students interested in the same research field and work under a university professor to write a college-level research paper. I was accepted into a neuroscience cohort and learned about neurodegenerative diseases, brain cell communication, and the biological mechanisms that lead to neuronal decline. I worked under Professor Daou of the University of Chicago to independently research the role of oxidative stress in the progression of multiple sclerosis.

I researched how oxidative stress affects neuronal mitochondria and myelin deterioration, conducting a comparative analysis of cellular responses and degeneration patterns in different regions of the nervous system. I also examined the impacts oxidative damage has had on the progression of MS by reviewing major studies and findings that explored how cellular stress accelerates neurodegeneration. My paper titled “Cellular Oxidative Stress: A Mechanistic Analysis of its Role in the Progression of Multiple Sclerosis”can be read by clicking the link below.