Teen studies the healing properties of honey
Honey is pretty sweet. But what’s even sweeter are its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, which Hannah Cevasco is researching.
Hannah, a 2015 Broadcom MASTERS second place winner, focuses on researching the effects of Manuka honey, produced in Australia and New Zealand, on the metabolic activity of cancer cells.
Read our interview with Hannah below to learn more about the properties of Manuka honey and her medical aspirations.
DESCRIBE YOUR HONEY RESEARCH: For the past few years I’ve focused on the healing properties of Manuka honey. I will be working with HeLa cervical cancer cells in a lab at Stanford University. I can’t wait to share my findings with you!
ON GOING TO STEM SUMMER CAMP: This summer, I attended the Stanford EXPLORE Lecture Series at Stanford Medical School in California. The camp introduced kids who love STEM to a broad range of topics in medicine.
We listened to three lectures a day from distinguished speakers who shared their work with us. The lectures were an amazing way to hear about all of the different opportunities in medicine. One speaker brought a human brain specimen for a lecture on neuroscience! Another brought in a model of a heart that he created with a 3D printer. A lot of them talked about their hopes for the future of their fields. They encouraged us to enter medicine to help make advancements to enhance patient care.
HOW BROADCOM MASTERS ENCOURAGED HER TO EXPLORE HER PASSIONS: Winning second place in science at the 2015 Broadcom MASTERS pushed me to continue pursuing my passion for science and medicine, as well as increased my desire to learn. I knew I wanted to participate in a summer camp that explored the field of medicine. This lecture series was perfect for me because I learned about cutting-edge research in various fields of medicine, ranging from cancer, to immunology, to neuroscience.
WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT STEM GOALS: I was nominated to attend the Congress for Future Physicians and Medical Scientists in Boston. I heard amazing speakers, including Nobel Laureates and grand prize winners of national science fairs. One of the speakers happened to be another Society alumna!
I also received a scholarship from Dr. Ben Carson for my achievements in academics and community service. It has been a whirlwind of a year since the 2015 Broadcom MASTERS, but I’m so excited to keep moving forward and pursuing my passion for science and medicine.
