Fairview High School senior Jason Cui named Regeneron science scholar for Alzheimer's research

Jan. 22—Fairview High School senior Jason Cui was named one of 300 scholars in the national Regeneron Science Talent Search, a science and mathematics competition for high school seniors.

Cui started his research as a sophomore in Fairview's Science Research Seminar class. For the class, he worked in a lab on a group project on how diet can affect Alzheimer's disease progression. As he was testing food preservatives, he said, "I found really incredible results."

That accidental discovery led him to develop a project on a common food preservative, sodium benzoate, that's he been working on ever since.

He said sodium benzoate was approved by the FDA in the 1970s, but there's been little research since then on its safety. His research found that, in animals, it can shorten their lifespan and induce premature aging.

The biggest setback during his research was the yearlong closure of the University of Colorado Boulder lab where he works because of the pandemic. During that time, he said, he did a lot of scientific research reading.

He submitted the project this year to the Regeneron competition.

"You submit a research paper and essays," he said. "It's like an application to college that's research-focused. You showcase your work and communicate your findings."

Along with the honor of being chosen, he said, the competition gives him access to a community of high school scholars and an large alumni network.

"It's a really great community for learning about other people's research," he said.

His goal now is to publish his findings in hopes that others will continue the research.

"It needs to be investigated," he said.

After high school, he's planning on a pre-med track with a major in biology. He's considering studying computational biology, adding he's interested in both the research side of medicine and patient care.

"Medicine is a good field for me," he said.