2025 INO Winners
First Place -
Jinge Wang
I am currently a freshman at Tianjin Farragut School in Tianjin, China. Ever since Sixth grade, I have been utterly fascinated by neuroscience, taking a keen delight in exploring its captivating intersections with sociology and psychology. I am actively engaged in interdisciplinary research bridging neural mechanisms with social behavior and cultural dynamics. Beyond my academic pursuits, I have organized an officially licensedYouth TEDx event, building a platform for idea-sharing and sparking intellectual curiosity within my community. As a TED Translator, I connect global insights and innovative thoughts accessible to diverse audiences. In my spare time, I find peace and inspiration in playing the guzheng, a centuries-old Chinese instrument, the elegant cousin of the guitar.
Second Place -Parnitha Karapakula
Parnitha Karapakula is a junior at the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at WPI, where she spends most of her time thinking about the brain. She has co-authored a publication in SLEEP on media representation of daylight saving time with researchers at Baystate Health, and independently studies how transgenerational epilepsy influences dementia pathology in C. elegans. She also serves on the International Communications Board of Mind Tricks Neuroscience, working to make neuroscience more accessible to students worldwide. Outside the lab, she leads outreach for her FIRST Robotics team and stays connected to her culture through Bharatanatyam and teaching Telugu.
Third Place -
Nguyen Mai Vy
I am a high school student from Vietnam with an interest in neuroscience and human biology. I enjoy exploring scientific ideas and challenging myself through academic experiences. I was awarded third place in the International Neuroscience Olympiad and hope to further pursue my studies in the biomedical field in the future.
2024 INO Winners
First Place -Annie Zhou
Second Place -
Samarth Basanth
Third Place - Diya Patel
Annie Zhou is a junior at Plano West Senior High School in Texas with a strong interest in neuroscience and medicine. She is conducting research on post-translational modifications of tau protein in Alzheimer's disease. Passionate about neuroscience outreach, she founded NeuroHub, a nonprofit featuring student-written blog articles that make neuroscience topics accessible to a wider audience. Annie aspires to become a neurosurgeon, and in her free time, she enjoys dancing, practicing Taekwondo, and volunteering at her local senior center.
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.