Yusuf Ay, a freshman from Fayetteville-Manlius, recently received multiple awards at a regional science fair for his project titled “Cancer Prediction Through Modeling: Understanding Environmental and Heritable Factors.” As someone who has always been fascinated by the intersection of math, computer science, and biology, Yusuf has been determined to understand why some people are more susceptible to illnesses than others.
Two teachers at F-M played a significant role in inspiring Yusuf to pursue this project further. His biology teacher, Mrs. Reichel, piqued his interest in genetics and its impact on health. Meanwhile, his computer science teacher, Mr. Phan, encouraged him to delve deeper into the topic through additional projects outside of class.
With the skills he learned from Mr. Phan’s class in hand, Yusuf used computer programming to analyze complex biology concepts related to cancer development. His project focused on analyzing breast, skin and lung cancer using mathematical modeling and computer programming to study how genetic mutations and environmental factors influence cancer susceptibility.
On April 7th 2024, following the completion of his research, Yusuf participated in the 44th Central New York Science and Engineering Fair at Syracuse’s Museum of Science & Technology (MOST). At the event, Yusuf received various accolades including the Regeneron Biomedical Science Award
