WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two Indian-American students Mar. 12 made it to the top 10 of the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search awards, bagging a prize of $20,000 each. Anand Srinivasan of Georgia bagged the eighth position while Shaun Datta from Maryland took the last 10th spot in the awards. Eric S Chen, 17, of San Diego won the top award of $100,000 for his research of potential new drugs to treat influenza.
Srinivasan received the award for his neural-network-based computer model, RNNScan, which "learns" patterns in DNA to predict the boundaries of certain genomic regions. Datta received the award for his research that used computer models and equations to improve the understanding of the interactions of nuclear matter. "We at Intel celebrate the work of these brilliant young scientists as a way to inspire the next generation to follow them with even greater energy and excitement into a life of invention and discovery," Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation, said. "Imagine the new technologies, solutions and devices they will bring to bear on the challenges we face. The Intel Science Talent Search finalists should inspire all of us with hope for the future," Hawkins said. (PTI)