Will Mutant Macrophages Eat More Cancer? Does APC Loss Impact DNA Damage on Triple Negative Breast Cancer with a Resistance to Doxorubicin? The answers to both of these questions were answered by Penn High School students at the Northern Indiana Regional Science Fair at Notre Dame University on Feb 22-25.
Penn Seniors Dhruvi Patel and Jagmit Singh advanced to the Hoosier Science and Engineering Fair (HSEF) to take place on Apr 5.
Singh came about his topic related to Doxorubicin, a cancer killing drug, after being accepted into the Research Cancer Corps (RC3) at Notre Dame. After being assigned to the Triple-Negative Breast Cancer lab, Singh measured specific proteins and tested cells to see how much DNA damage the drug caused.
“One challenge was perfecting the experiments, like making sure the measurements were accurate and consistent,” Singh said. “It took a lot of trial and error to get it just right.”
The day of the competition, sprits were high. When Patel and Singh received their first place qualification, it was like a weight was lifted off of their shoulders.
“At the Regional competition, it was nerve-wracking to explain the project under pressure and answer any questions the judges had, but I practiced a lot beforehand, which helped me feel prepared,” Singh said. “ All the hard work, late nights, and dedication paid off, and it was so rewarding to know my project made an impact.”
Singh and Patel will participate in the Hoosier Science & Engineering Fair on Apr 5, 2025 in the hopes of becoming a state champion in their field.
James Mason 
Marie Roach