58th Annual STS (1998–1999)
Finalists
Erika Natalie Ebbel

Erika Natalie Ebbel, 17, of  Hillsborough, tested extracts from the Mongolian Dandelion, a Chinese medicinal herb called Pu-Kung-Ying, against Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) for the Intel Science Talent Search. As part of her ongoing six-year microbiology study, she was able to isolate anti-viral compounds of the dandelion using chemical and spectroscopic methods. Erika hopes her research will help lead to the discovery of an alternative treatment to prevent and possibly cure HSV-1. Erika has been an award-winning participant in science competitions since sixth grade and was a finalist at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. As an advanced-level piano student at the Conservatory of Music in San Francisco, Erika has received several awards in competitions and performed at various recitals. She also teaches piano at a local community center. Fluent in Spanish, Russian and Japanese, she enjoys scuba diving and ballroom dancing and is currently learning to fly. Upon graduation from Crystal Springs Uplands School, she hopes to attend MIT and pursue a career in biotechnology or medicine. She is the daughter of Eric and Kathryn Ebbel.

Back to List of 1999 Intel Science Talent Search Finalists