I was nine years old and I had a series of complications with my ear but I
of complications with my ear but I
of complications with my ear but I remember the surgeon explaining to me
remember the surgeon explaining to me
remember the surgeon explaining to me about a prosthesis that would restore my
about a prosthesis that would restore my
about a prosthesis that would restore my hearing given the news I wasn’t worried
hearing given the news I wasn’t worried
hearing given the news I wasn’t worried about the complications of the surgery
about the complications of the surgery
about the complications of the surgery but I was fascinated by the science
but I was fascinated by the science
but I was fascinated by the science behind it and thinking back to this
behind it and thinking back to this
behind it and thinking back to this experience I wanted to start a research
experience I wanted to start a research
experience I wanted to start a research project with the hopes that one day I
project with the hopes that one day I
project with the hopes that one day I could contribute to society much the
could contribute to society much the
could contribute to society much the same way these doctors surgeons and
same way these doctors surgeons and
same way these doctors surgeons and scientists are helping people on a daily
scientists are helping people on a daily
scientists are helping people on a daily basis by combining science and
basis by combining science and
basis by combining science and technology with medicine I was 14 years
technology with medicine I was 14 years
technology with medicine I was 14 years old and I saw an awareness campaign for
old and I saw an awareness campaign for
old and I saw an awareness campaign for outside Miss disease at the time I
outside Miss disease at the time I
outside Miss disease at the time I didn’t know what the disease was so I
didn’t know what the disease was so I
didn’t know what the disease was so I wanted to find out about it Alzheimer’s
wanted to find out about it Alzheimer’s
wanted to find out about it Alzheimer’s disease affects over 47 million people
disease affects over 47 million people
disease affects over 47 million people worldwide but there exists no drugs to
worldwide but there exists no drugs to
worldwide but there exists no drugs to stop or even slow down the progression
stop or even slow down the progression
stop or even slow down the progression of this disease more than that less than
of this disease more than that less than
of this disease more than that less than 50% of patients receive a diagnosis
50% of patients receive a diagnosis
50% of patients receive a diagnosis within their lifetime so I wanted to do
within their lifetime so I wanted to do
within their lifetime so I wanted to do something about this lack of an
something about this lack of an
something about this lack of an effective diagnostic system and I was
effective diagnostic system and I was
effective diagnostic system and I was curious as to whether I could find a
curious as to whether I could find a
curious as to whether I could find a better solution
better solution
better solution so I read medical journals and met with
so I read medical journals and met with
so I read medical journals and met with professors to learn about the
professors to learn about the
professors to learn about the biochemistry of the disease so that I
biochemistry of the disease so that I
biochemistry of the disease so that I could be a part of the fight against it
could be a part of the fight against it
could be a part of the fight against it when I was 15 years old I created a
when I was 15 years old I created a
when I was 15 years old I created a complex which was an antibody combined
complex which was an antibody combined
complex which was an antibody combined with a nanoparticle that could enter the
with a nanoparticle that could enter the
with a nanoparticle that could enter the brain target a toxic protein and then
brain target a toxic protein and then
brain target a toxic protein and then show up on an MRI and near-infrared scan
show up on an MRI and near-infrared scan
show up on an MRI and near-infrared scan the complex had diagnostic properties
the complex had diagnostic properties
the complex had diagnostic properties but it also had therapeutic properties
but it also had therapeutic properties
but it also had therapeutic properties by preventing neural damage and
by preventing neural damage and
by preventing neural damage and increasing cellular viability
increasing cellular viability
increasing cellular viability something I wasn’t expecting doing this
something I wasn’t expecting doing this
something I wasn’t expecting doing this entire research was incredible and
entire research was incredible and
entire research was incredible and invigorating but I didn’t do it for
invigorating but I didn’t do it for
invigorating but I didn’t do it for grades or for the sake of my curriculum
grades or for the sake of my curriculum
grades or for the sake of my curriculum but instead out of curiosity sure it was
but instead out of curiosity sure it was
but instead out of curiosity sure it was difficult getting professors to take me
difficult getting professors to take me
difficult getting professors to take me seriously at first but the ideas
seriously at first but the ideas
seriously at first but the ideas themselves were up to me and they were
themselves were up to me and they were
themselves were up to me and they were only limited by my imagination I think
only limited by my imagination I think
only limited by my imagination I think what’s so great about science is it’s so
what’s so great about science is it’s so
what’s so great about science is it’s so diverse but it still remains so insolent
diverse but it still remains so insolent
diverse but it still remains so insolent some of the core concepts I was using
some of the core concepts I was using
some of the core concepts I was using within my Alzheimer’s research could
within my Alzheimer’s research could
within my Alzheimer’s research could easily be translated into cancer
easily be translated into cancer
easily be translated into cancer research
research
research when I was working without signers there
when I was working without signers there
when I was working without signers there was an adjacent laboratory who were
was an adjacent laboratory who were
was an adjacent laboratory who were working with cancer and I was curious as
working with cancer and I was curious as
working with cancer and I was curious as to what they were doing
to what they were doing
to what they were doing so I wants to find out more I created a
so I wants to find out more I created a
so I wants to find out more I created a new method to treat a particular form of
new method to treat a particular form of
new method to treat a particular form of breast cancer cancer is a cruel and
breast cancer cancer is a cruel and
breast cancer cancer is a cruel and complex disease but triple negative
complex disease but triple negative
complex disease but triple negative breast cancer isn’t responsive too many
breast cancer isn’t responsive too many
breast cancer isn’t responsive too many drugs because it lacks the receptors
drugs because it lacks the receptors
drugs because it lacks the receptors upon which most drugs work on however
upon which most drugs work on however
upon which most drugs work on however last year another research team found
last year another research team found
last year another research team found out that triple negative breast cancer
out that triple negative breast cancer
out that triple negative breast cancer comes from two different types of cells
comes from two different types of cells
comes from two different types of cells one cell line which is responsive to
one cell line which is responsive to
one cell line which is responsive to most other drugs and another cell line
most other drugs and another cell line
most other drugs and another cell line that isn’t responsive too many drugs at
that isn’t responsive too many drugs at
that isn’t responsive too many drugs at all
all
all so creating new drugs to treat this
so creating new drugs to treat this
so creating new drugs to treat this unresponsive form of cancer has been a
unresponsive form of cancer has been a
unresponsive form of cancer has been a challenge so I wanted to do something
challenge so I wanted to do something
challenge so I wanted to do something different I wanted to see whether I
different I wanted to see whether I
different I wanted to see whether I could change the unresponsive form of
could change the unresponsive form of
could change the unresponsive form of triple negative breast cancer into a
triple negative breast cancer into a
triple negative breast cancer into a form of cancer we can treat with
form of cancer we can treat with
form of cancer we can treat with existing drugs in essence I didn’t
existing drugs in essence I didn’t
existing drugs in essence I didn’t change the drug I changed the cancer
change the drug I changed the cancer
change the drug I changed the cancer since then I’ve been exploring whether
since then I’ve been exploring whether
since then I’ve been exploring whether my Alzheimer’s research could be applied
my Alzheimer’s research could be applied
my Alzheimer’s research could be applied to other diseases like Parkinson’s
to other diseases like Parkinson’s
to other diseases like Parkinson’s disease Huntington’s disease and ALS
disease Huntington’s disease and ALS
disease Huntington’s disease and ALS and I’m curious as to whether the
and I’m curious as to whether the
and I’m curious as to whether the concept of changing the cancer and not
concept of changing the cancer and not
concept of changing the cancer and not the drug could be applied to other forms
the drug could be applied to other forms
the drug could be applied to other forms of cancer not only breast cancer a lot
of cancer not only breast cancer a lot
of cancer not only breast cancer a lot of people think that just because I do
of people think that just because I do
of people think that just because I do this research I’m somehow different to
this research I’m somehow different to
this research I’m somehow different to friends my friends enjoy playing sport
friends my friends enjoy playing sport
friends my friends enjoy playing sport so do I my friends also enjoy traveling
so do I my friends also enjoy traveling
so do I my friends also enjoy traveling the world so do I did you guys see any
the world so do I did you guys see any
the world so do I did you guys see any differences well the answer was no and
differences well the answer was no and
differences well the answer was no and that’s because there isn’t any I like
that’s because there isn’t any I like
that’s because there isn’t any I like doing things other sixteen-year-olds
doing things other sixteen-year-olds
doing things other sixteen-year-olds like to do but I also wanted to do
like to do but I also wanted to do
like to do but I also wanted to do something that fascinated me and for me
something that fascinated me and for me
something that fascinated me and for me that happened to be neuroscience I as
that happened to be neuroscience I as
that happened to be neuroscience I as well as many other students across the
well as many other students across the
well as many other students across the world may have promising ideas but what
world may have promising ideas but what
world may have promising ideas but what we don’t have are the facilities or
we don’t have are the facilities or
we don’t have are the facilities or resources required to execute them I had
resources required to execute them I had
resources required to execute them I had to email 54 different laboratories
to email 54 different laboratories
to email 54 different laboratories before I got one positive response
before I got one positive response
before I got one positive response months later I had no prior experience
months later I had no prior experience
months later I had no prior experience with research and whilst that’s in
with research and whilst that’s in
with research and whilst that’s in itself is a significant drawback I think
itself is a significant drawback I think
itself is a significant drawback I think it possesses an understated significance
it possesses an understated significance
it possesses an understated significance as inexperienced students we don’t know
as inexperienced students we don’t know
as inexperienced students we don’t know what’s possible or what’s impossible so
what’s possible or what’s impossible so
what’s possible or what’s impossible so we’re not afraid of exploring new ideas
we’re not afraid of exploring new ideas
we’re not afraid of exploring new ideas and challenging preconceptions in the
and challenging preconceptions in the
and challenging preconceptions in the hopes of finding something new curiosity
hopes of finding something new curiosity
hopes of finding something new curiosity was essential for me to have become
was essential for me to have become
was essential for me to have become interested in my research and started
interested in my research and started
interested in my research and started doing what I like doing but this is the
doing what I like doing but this is the
doing what I like doing but this is the easy part
easy part
easy part right because curiosity is present
right because curiosity is present
right because curiosity is present within each and every one of us when
within each and every one of us when
within each and every one of us when we’re all young we’ve always asked
we’re all young we’ve always asked
we’re all young we’ve always asked questions and wondered about our
questions and wondered about our
questions and wondered about our surroundings
surroundings
surroundings my dad enjoys calling me annoying and he
my dad enjoys calling me annoying and he
my dad enjoys calling me annoying and he loves to tell me to go away because I
loves to tell me to go away because I
loves to tell me to go away because I would irritate him with a seemingly
would irritate him with a seemingly
would irritate him with a seemingly endless number of questions but it goes
endless number of questions but it goes
endless number of questions but it goes to demonstrate an intrinsic sense of
to demonstrate an intrinsic sense of
to demonstrate an intrinsic sense of inquisitiveness curiosity is also
inquisitiveness curiosity is also
inquisitiveness curiosity is also something that cannot be taken away
something that cannot be taken away
something that cannot be taken away there are 160 million teenagers in India
there are 160 million teenagers in India
there are 160 million teenagers in India and over 1.2 billion teenagers across
and over 1.2 billion teenagers across
and over 1.2 billion teenagers across the world and if society listens to
the world and if society listens to
the world and if society listens to those teenagers and allowed us to
those teenagers and allowed us to
those teenagers and allowed us to explore our interests imagine what we
explore our interests imagine what we
explore our interests imagine what we could accomplish and how much we could
could accomplish and how much we could
could accomplish and how much we could change the world ladies and gentlemen
change the world ladies and gentlemen
change the world ladies and gentlemen there are 1.2 billion
there are 1.2 billion
there are 1.2 billion untapped teenage minds full of curiosity
untapped teenage minds full of curiosity
untapped teenage minds full of curiosity and potentially world-changing ideas and
and potentially world-changing ideas and
and potentially world-changing ideas and we’re ready to share our ideas as long
we’re ready to share our ideas as long
we’re ready to share our ideas as long as you guys are ready to give us the
as you guys are ready to give us the
as you guys are ready to give us the chance thank you
chance thank you
chance thank you [Applause]
”
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