PMHS Science Research Student Walch Places Among Top 300 Nationwide

In the most competitive contest in over 50 years, PMHS senior Emily Walch’s cognitive science and neuropsychology project stood out among more than 2,600 students participating in the Regeneron Science Talent Search competition – earning her a place among the nation’s top 300 scholars.

Many students pursue neuroscience topics through their science research projects. They often look for the causes of diseases, growth and development, and biochemistry. Studies like these are critical for improving health outcomes for patients, but every one of them depends on good data. Walch turned her attention to an unassuming potential complicating factor affecting that data – language.

“Essentially, I looked at a large data set, and I wanted to see if the patterns of cognitive test performance between English and Spanish speakers would differ even after they were matched based on a few socio-economic and demographic variables,” Walch said. “…These tests are a good way to detect cognitive impairments, especially in aging populations.”

Neurodegenerative diseases like dementia are on the rise and devastating for millions of patients and families across the world, but early detection and treatment can delay cognitive decline, manage symptoms and preserve quality of life among patients. Critical to early detection, however, is quality testing regardless of language. Walch’s study is a step in the direction of more equitable and accurate cognitive testing.

While controlling for other factors, Walch wanted to see if there was a difference in performance during cognitive testing based solely on the language in which the test was given. This could indicate that the translations were affecting test performance and reducing the accuracy of testing. In short, some patients might not get the help they need when they need it for neurodegenerative diseases like dementia due to the language that the tests were given in.

“I chose this project because it can allow for more accurate and early detection of these impairments before they progress to a more severe disease,” she said. “The concern is that if these tests have an English language bias, that may mean that tests developed by English speakers for English-speaking populations are not structurally equivalent when translated to other languages.”

The Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS), founded in 1942 and organized by the Society for Science, is the United States' oldest and most prestigious science and mathematics competition for high school seniors. The program invites thousands of students annually to submit original, independent research projects that are judged by leading experts in their fields. From this pool, 300 scholars are selected to receive $2,000 each.

“Emily exemplifies the curiosity, discipline, and intellectual courage we strive to cultivate in our Science Research Program,” said Science Research Director Steven Beltecas. “Her research project is exceptionally impressive, reflecting meticulous, top-notch work and the hundreds of hours she dedicated to it. Her performance as a Regeneron STS Top 300 Scholar makes me so proud of her and all of our students who push themselves to do meaningful, real-world science.”

“It was a huge honor that I was chosen,” Walch said. “This has been a goal of mine for a while, and I’m very grateful for the Pelham Science Research Program for helping me achieve this and for all the support.”