A Merseyside student has been named as the UK Young Scientist of the Year.
West Kirby Grammar School's Kirtana Vallabhaneni beat 360
other entrants to be awarded the prize at The Big Bang Fair at
Birmingham's NEC on last Friday.
The 17-year-old was part of University of Liverpool's
research project aimed at identifying the harmful cells that cause
pancreatic cancer.
She said she hoped her win could help "instil the same kind of passion I have for science in other young people".
The judging panel for the national award, open to 11 to
18-year-olds who completed a science, technology, engineering or maths
project, included renowned space scientist Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock,
Nobel Prize winning biochemist Sir Tim Hunt, and the Science Museum's
inventor in residence Mark Champkins.
Dr Aderin-Pocock said she was "delighted" with Ms Vallabhaneni's work.
"The country's science and engineering industry has an
incredibly bright future ahead of it if Kirtana and her fellow finalists
are anything to go by," she said.
"It's these talented individuals who will inspire others to think about science and engineering in a new and exciting light."
Ms Vallabhaneni, who was part of the project team working to
isolate cells in the pancreas that can be targeted with chemotherapy,
said she was "so happy" with the win.
"Everything that I've worked for over the last year has come together," she said.
"The fact four finalists were female shows that there are
strong opportunities for women in science and it proves they don't have
to follow convention and stereotypes.
"I'm so passionate about what I do and I hope that with this
success, I can instil the same kind of passion I have for science in
other young people.
"If I can do it, they definitely can."
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