Saratoga Student Among 40 U.S. Intel Science Talent Search Finalists

Saratoga's Jack Takahashi, a student at Lynbrook High School, is among 40 young innovators named a finalists in the Intel Science Talent Search 2013 competition.

The contest is a program of Society for Science & the Public and the nation's oldest and most prestigious pre-college science competition.

The Intel Science Talent Search finalists represent the nation's most promising high school seniors, Intel said in a press release.

Finalists will gather in Washington, D.C. in March to compete for $630,000 in awards with the top winner receiving $100,000 from the Intel Foundation, the release stated.

The other four Bay Area students named finalists are Poulomi Bhattacharya, of Cupertino, a student at The Harker School; Kevin Chen, of Fremont, a student at Mission San Jose High School; Sahana Vasudevan, of Palo Alto, a student at Gnyanam Academy and Kelly Zhang, of Orinda, a student at The College Preparatory School.

Takahashi's scientific question is identified by the contest as: "Wnt Independent ß-catenin Activation is Associated With Increased Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation in Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension."

Finalists receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. from March 7-13. There, they will compete for $630,000 in awards provided by the Intel Foundation. Each finalist receives at least $7,500.

Winners will be selected based on rigorous judging sessions and announced at a black-tie gala awards ceremony at the National Building Museum on March 12. The top award is $100,000; the remaining top 10 winners will receive awards totaling $305,000, according to the release.