Press release

Learning Undefeated Announces Potomac, Md., 10th Grader Faith Cheung as 2019 Maryland BioGENEius Finalist

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Learning
Undefeated
, a nonprofit organization that provides life-changing
STEM experiences for high needs communities, today announced that Faith
Cheung, a Potomac, Md., resident who is a 10th grader at
Richard Montgomery High School, was named winner of the 2019 Maryland
BioGENEius Challenge, the premier competition for high school students
that recognizes outstanding original research in biotechnology for
healthcare, sustainability and the environment. As the Maryland
BioGENEius finalist, Cheung will represent the state in the International
BioGENEius Challenge
at the 2019 BIO
International Convention
.

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Faith Cheung, 10th grader from Richard Montgomery High School and finalist of the 2019 Maryland BioG ...

Faith Cheung, 10th grader from Richard Montgomery High School and finalist of the 2019 Maryland BioGENEius Challenge, will represent the state in the International BioGENEius Challenge this June at the 2019 BIO International Convention in Philadelphia, Pa. (Graphic: Business Wire)

“Learning Undefeated’s mission is to inspire and encourage students to
explore the possibilities available to them through STEM education, in
an effort to propel better job opportunities, new discoveries and
innovation once thought beyond the realm of the possible,” said Brian
Gaines, CEO of Learning Undefeated. “As our expert panel of scientist
judges evaluated this year’s BioGENEius Challenge entries, we were very
impressed with the creativity, intellectual curiosity and top caliber
talent being cultivated in Maryland schools. For the first time ever,
our winner and both runners up were all talented young women, who show
incredible potential to make their marks in the scientific community. We
are proud of them and honored to have Faith representing Maryland in
Philadelphia.”

Cheung’s winning project was entitled “Near-Infrared
Photothermal Therapy Cancer Treatment Assisted With Graphene-Based
Materials
.” The project explored the use of graphene as an agent for
photothermal treatment of cancer, a method that relies on near-infrared
light to ablate tumors. Cheung investigated interstitial doping of
graphene with various dopants as a strategy to engineer smaller band
gaps within the window of near-infrared light, ranging between 600 to
1000 nanometers. In this approach, the effectiveness of laser
irradiation was enhanced through the photothermal heating provided by
the use of graphene as a photothermal heating agent. Cheung’s work
established that oxygen-doped graphene at its B-site could be an optimal
and efficient heating agent for ablation due to its narrow, yet fitting,
band gap, and that the results open up a new avenue for the application
of doped nanomaterials in photothermal therapy.

Runners up in the 2019 Maryland competition were:

As the Maryland winner, Cheung will receive an all-expenses paid trip to
compete at the International BioGENEius Challenge at the BIO
International Convention, taking place in Philadelphia, June 3-6, 2019.
While there, Cheung will have the opportunity to engage with leading
companies, scientists and innovators currently transforming the
scientific landscape.

Winners of the International BioGENEius competition will be announced
June 5.

About Learning Undefeated

Learning Undefeated (formerly MdBio Foundation) provides life-changing
STEM experiences for high needs communities by providing equitable
access to education and inspiring students to imagine their own success.
Through innovative and experiential education programs for grades K-12,
we are sparking interest in STEM careers and building the workforce that
will drive the innovation economy. Learning Undefeated’s flagship
education program features mobile STEM labs that have provided hands-on
learning opportunities to nearly 200,000 K-12 students in 12 states
since 2003. Learning Undefeated also operates several other celebrated
STEM education programs including the Young Science Explorers Program, a
summer camp for middle school students; Advancing Tomorrow’s Leaders in
STEM (ATLAS) College and Career Exploration Program; STEM Leadership
Experience; student competitions; after-school programs; curriculum
development; and disaster recovery education. Visit learningundefeated.org
or follow on social media @LearningUNDFTD.