Katherine Chen ‘23

Field of study:  Gene Therapy

Why did you pursue this project?

My seventh-grade biology class sparked my interest in cellular biology. I started reading about the subject in my spare time, covering topics ranging from bacterial antibiotic resistance to epigenetics. I became most interested in gene-editing technologies. I found it fascinating that we already have the capability to edit genes, which sounds straight out of a sci-fi movie. In my sophomore year of high school, I decided to join IRP at Hackley to study the medical applications of these technologies. After reading many research papers in the field, I realized that a major problem with gene-editing therapies is related to their delivery mechanisms. Patient immunity against the therapies hinders the editing process, which may prevent scientists from successfully curing the patient. I matched with a mentor in the Regeneron High School Mentorship Program to conduct research on further understanding how these immune responses happen and finding ways to evade them.

Tell us about yourself

Aside from academics and research, I am involved with the Girls Who Code Club at Hackley and play piano at Hoff-Barthelson Music School. In my free time, I enjoy reading (I recently read Breaking Through: My Life In Science by Katalin Karikó; highly recommend it!), baking, scrapbooking, and listening to music. I also love hiking with my friends and visiting art museums.

Science research related awards / publications

New York-Upstate Junior Science and Humanities Symposium 1st Place in Biomedical Sciences & National Finalist (2024)
Westchester-Rockland Junior Science and Humanities Symposium 1st Place in Biochemistry & Cellular Molecular Biology (2024)
Genius Olympiad Gold Medal in Science (2023)
New York State Science and Engineering Fair 2nd Place in Cellular and Molecular Biology (2023)
Westchester Science and Engineering Fair 3rd Place in Cellular and Molecular Biology & Genius Olympiad Finalist (2023)
Somers Science Fair 1st Place in Cellular and Molecular Biology (2022)