60th Annual STS (2000–2001)
Finalists
Melissa Ann Radecki

OREGON
Melissa Ann Radecki, 18, of Lake Oswego, studied a biochemical mechanism that could help cure glaucoma as her medicine and health entry in the Intel Science Talent Search. A vision disorder that causes blindness affecting 67 million people, glaucoma is caused by elevated pressure in the inner eye. Melissa studied whether "stretch," a biochemical mechanism involving elongation of cells, might be a natural inner-eye pressure regulator and thus useful in glaucoma treatment. She believes her work will improve understanding of the stretch mechanism and concludes that it is a potential regulator of inner-eye pressure. Melissa did her work over the past four years at the Oregon Health Sciences University. At Oregon Episcopal School in Portland she is editor of the newspaper, a varsity swimmer and holder of more than a dozen awards in science competitions. She is also coauthor of an abstract presented at the International Conference of Eye Research in October. Melissa plans to study at Yale or Brown and earn an M.D./Ph.D. in neuroscience and behavior. Melissa is the daughter of Dr. Patrick and Linda Radecki.