2024 INO Winners
First Place -Annie Zhou
Second Place -
Samarth Basanth
Third Place - Diya Patel
Annie Zhou is a high school junior with a passion for exploring neuroscience research. She hopes to inspire others to delve into the fascinating world of neuroscience and make a meaningful impact in the field. In her free time, she enjoys reading and practicing Taekwondo.
Samarth Basanth is a high school junior at South Windsor High School in Connecticut with a deep passion for neuroscience, focusing on innovative methods for detecting neurodegenerative diseases. He shares his research at international science fairs and in publications, while also conducting studies on Alzheimer’s biomarkers at Yale. Driven by a commitment to health equity, Samarth founded Samanate, a nonprofit dedicated to health equity advocacy and community support. He also leads Science Speaks, a TEDx-style platform, and Bobcat STEWS, a district-wide STEM newspaper, to foster scientific curiosity and dialogue. Outside of academics, Samarth competes nationally in Taekwondo and enjoys playing volleyball in his free time.
Diya Patel is a high school senior from Los Angeles, CA. She has been fascinated by the brain since fourth grade—especially how memory and sleep work—and she loves reading and researching all things sleep-related. She even recently published a study on brain EEGs during sleep! She is passionate about health advocacy for rural communities due to her rural upbringing, and she hopes to make a difference as a neurologist one day. Outside of science, she enjoys dancing and making origami with her sister.