65th Annual STS (2005-2006)
Finalists
Shoshana Sophie Rothman Tell

FLORIDA
Shoshana Sophie Rothman Tell, 18, of Coral Springs, studied the role of Wnt, a secreted glycoprotein, in the pediatric eye cancer retinoblastoma, for her Intel Science Talent Search project in medicine and health. The role of Wnt can be either pro- or anti-apoptotic (cell death) depending upon the cell line and tissue and has been implicated in more than 20 types of cancers. In her study, Shoshana demonstrated that activation of the Wnt signaling pathway may slow retinoblastoma tumor progression. Her novel approach of using human tumors for her research has allowed her to generate medically relevant conclusions that could benefit patient care by potentially being applied to diagnosis, prognosis and therapy. First in her class of 190 at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, Shoshana is fluent in Spanish and Hebrew. She plays violin in the school orchestra, viola in the Florida Youth Orchestra and sings in the school chorus. Shoshana also volunteers in the pediatric unit of a local hospital. She has traveled to Spain for Crypto-Jewish genetic research and presented a paper on her findings. The daughter of Peter and Meah Tell, she would like to pursue biochemistry and Middle Eastern studies at Harvard and become a researcher.