For Immediate Release
January 24, 2005

Roswell Park Summer Students Win Top Honors in Siemens Westinghouse Competition

BUFFALO, NY – Two students from the “Research Participation Program in Science for Young Scholars” at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) have won top honors in the 2004-2005 Siemens Westinghouse Competition in Math, Science and Technology, the nation’s premier high school science competition.

The team of Nicole Pranke, Golden Valley, MN, and Ashley Fry, Dix Hills, NY, who worked under the supervision of William Greco, PhD, Department of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, placed sixth overall in the national team competition and won $8,000 each in scholarship money. They were honored for their research into improving a set of statistical methods that assist in the development of new drugs and drug combinations used to fight cancer and other diseases.
 Over 1,200 students entered the 2004-2005 competition. The 18 national finalists previously competed in a series of regional competitions held in six leading research universities.

 “We congratulate these talented young people for this well-deserved recognition,” said Dr. Greco. “The honor is a tribute to the RPCI summer science program which provides talented young scientists from all over the US and Canada with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in Roswell Park laboratories along with cancer researchers.”

“Discoveries in cancer research depend on the addition of new, well-trained, highly-motivated scientists who will ultimately become the leaders of tomorrow,” said Arthur Michalek, PhD, Dean and Chair of the Department of Educational Affairs.

In their research project, Monte Carlo Simulations of the Hill Dose Response Model, the students used Monte Carlo Simulation, a well-known statistical tool, to help evaluate both experimental design options and data analysis options when using the Hill equation to model the concentration-effect patterns of single drugs and drug combinations.

“This is an amazing accomplishment for these high school students and a testament to the very high level of their research,” said Professor Jesus Izaguirre, Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Notre Dame University and a member of the panel judges for the Midwestern Regional Finals.

The Siemens Westinghouse Competition is a signature program of the New Jersey-based Siemens Foundation, which distributes more than $1 million in scholarships, awards and grants annually. It is administered by the College Board.

The Siemens Foundation is dedicated to providing scholarships and increasing access to higher education for gifted students in science, mathematics and technology-related disciplines.

Established in 1998 to promote and support education activities, the Siemens Foundation recognizes and supports America’s most promising science and mathematics students and teachers, as well as schools that are doing the most to promote education in the core sciences. The Foundation’s mission is based on the culture of innovation, research and educational support that is the hallmark of Siemens’ US operating companies and its parent company, Siemens AG.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute- designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York.  RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers.  For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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