Three Orange County students took home a combined $19,000 in scholarships today from the Young Epidemiology Scholars national science competition in Washington, D.C.
Jonathan Yeh, 17, a senior at Troy High School in Fullerton, was among the top 12 finalists for his research on potential links between routine aspirin use and an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Yeh, who is deciding between attending Yale, Princeton or Johns Hopkins universities next year, won a $15,000 scholarship.
Sudheshna Miryala,17, a student at Western High School in Anaheim, and Allison Holcombe, 18, a senior at Tesoro High in Las Flores, were among the 60 national finalists and each was awarded a $2,000 scholarship.
Miryala's study found that poor eating and sleeping habits among students can increase the risk of depression. Holcombe's study determined that environmental factors may play a significant role in the higher rates of autism within the state's Hispanic population.
"It wasn't about the money for me as much as getting to come back here and hear these really impressive research projects," Yeh said. "I've always been interested in biology, but it's really rewarding to write a paper that potentially could help thousands of people lead healthier lives."
