Congratulations to our winners and thank you all for participating. Happy DNA Day!
Thank you for making this another successful year! We received many submissions from students in 40 U.S. states and 21 foreign countries, including Colombia, Ukraine, and Singapore. We would also like to thank the over 500 ASHG members who participated in judging the essays!
2017 Question
In the early 1990s, gene therapy was hailed as a potential treatment or cure for many genetic diseases and conditions. Unfortunately, problems during clinical trials, including the death of a patient due to a fatal immune reaction, forced scientists to re-think their strategies. Recent advances in biology have made gene therapy more promising than ever and expanded the field beyond its original concept of providing an additional, functional copy of a malfunctioning gene to specific cells. Choose one modern example of gene therapy (since 2005), describe the disease or condition researchers are attempting to treat, and explain how the therapy/approach might repair the underlying cause of the disease or condition.
2017 Winners
1st Place: Adele Peng, Grade 9
Teacher: Aubrie Holman
School: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Location: Alexandria, VA
2nd Place: Sophia Spiegel, Grade 11
Teacher: Judith Pinto
School: Bergen County Academics
Location: Hackensack, NJ
3rd Place: Alvin Ya, Grade 12
Teacher: Mary Alice Adah
School: Poolesville High School
Location: Poolesville, MD
Honorable Mentions
| Blake Holman Lake Dallas High School Corinth, TX Teacher: Cynthia Powers |
Arielle Rothman North Shore Hebrew Academy High School Great Neck, NY Teacher: Lisa Runco |
| Jio Jeong Seoul International School Seongnam-si, South Korea Teacher: Eugene Lee |
Julian Rubinfien Stuyvesant High School New York, NY Teacher: Maria Nedwidek-Moore |
| Lucy Liu Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy Aurora, IL Teacher: Crystal Randall |
Olivia Wilkes Home School Toney, AL Teacher: Linda Wilkes |
| Alleanna Marquez Whitestation High School Memphis, TN Teacher: Chikezie Madu |
Lina Zein Hathaway Brown School Shaker Heights, OH Teacher: Sheri Homany |
| Rhea Park Head-Royce School Oakland, CA Teacher: Jennifer Brakeman |
Jacob Zinberg Torah Academy of Bergen County Teaneck, NJ Teacher: Garry Katz |
| Tharushi Perera Staten Island Technical High School Staten Island, NY Teacher: John Davis |
Where in the world our submissions come from:
About the Contest
The contest aims to challenge students to examine, question, and reflect on important ideas and issues related to human genetics. Competitive essays are expected to convey substantive, well-reasoned, and evidence-based arguments that demonstrate deep understanding.
Essays are evaluated through three rounds of judging, and every essay is read by a minimum of three judges. Top-scoring essays have typically been scored by a dozen or more judges.
Questions/Comments: Contact dnaday@ashg.org