Future Leaders winner breaking new ground in gluten intolerance research
Throughout the year, CBS News Colorado, along with our partners at PDC Energy and Ping Identity, celebrates six high school students who are excelling in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). The winners get $1,000, and a profile on CBS News Colorado.
The latest Future Leaders winner is Aditi Avinash, a rising senior at Rock Canyon High School. While she is an excellent student, Avinash has taken her curiosity in STEM much farther than school work.
For the last three years, she's been researching the causes and potential treatments for celiac disease and gluten intolerance.
"I found that there are these three specific enzymes that work in a combination together and they're actually really effective at breaking down gluten protein," Avinash explained.
This last year, her research got to the point where she needed some more high powered equipment so she partnered with a researcher in the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and was able to access that researcher's lab on the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.
"Perseverance is the one that is helping her or has helped her get there she is today," said Sujatha Venkataraman, PhD., Assistant Research Professor, Pediatrics-Heme/Onc. and Bone Marrow Transplantation.
"My goal is to try to move my research from bench to bedside and create some kind of pill for gluten intolerance," Avinash said.
She is well on her way. Venkataraman told CBS News Colorado that Avinash has made some findings that no other scientist has made yet. This project is so impressive that Avinash won first place in the Translational Medical Science category at the International Science and Engineering Fair.
"It's kind of regarded as the Olympics of science fairs," Avinash explained.
Her interest in medicine spurred Avinash to volunteer at Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree.
"I love it. I work at the Mom and Baby Unit at Sky Ridge," Avinash said. "This past year, I actually went to nursing school."
She got a Certified Nurses Assistant License, while still in high school, so that she could be a greater help to the nurses and patients at Sky Ridge Medical Center.
"I've always been fascinated with medicine," Avinash said. "In the future, I want to be a MD, PhD because I'm really interested in both the clinical side of healthcare but also the research."
Avinash balances her love of science with the art of singing. She won the chance to go to All-State Choir this last year.
"I don't think anything I've ever done has involved as much teamwork as choir," she said.
Working as a team, or individually, Avinash has already shown she's a leader at every level.
LINK: More information about Future Leaders award