West Hempstead student participates in SciTech

Elliot was among 37 high school students to participate in the SciTech program at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa — an innovative program for high school juniors and seniors with a demonstrated interest and ability in science and technology. Now in its 19th year, SciTech gives young students the chance to carry out research (in English) in a broad range of fields alongside Israel’s top scientific researchers, while experiencing dorm living and befriending peers from all over the world. Participants this year came from eight U.S. states, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, Serbia and Israel.

“The scientific portion of the program was fascinating and very exciting and the social part was just as enriching — if not more so,” says Elliot. “It was very special to interact with kids from different parts of the world and to learn about their ways of life. I also really enjoyed the trips that we took off campus and the opportunity to experience the rich history of Israel.”

Along with two other student partners, Elliot worked on biomedical engineering research aimed at identifying the weakening rate of cardiac muscle cells during muscle contraction process. In a project called, “Who Controls the Heart,” they isolated a microscopic cardiac fiber from a rat’s heart, and attached it to an apparatus that tested for different parameters such as force of muscle contraction. They then experimented by adding adrenaline to see what effect it had on these parameters. The results were significant in that they were able to manipulate the weakening rate, which when too high or too low is hypothesized to be responsible for a number of cardiac disorders.

“In addition to what I learned in the labs by doing our experiments and reading about the subject … I saw that it is possible to be excited about science and at the same time be a regular kid, hanging out and talking together with other people with similar interests,” Elliot says.

SciTech was founded by the late Harry J. Stern of Sands Point, NY, a supporter of the Technion and the American Technion Society. Admission to the program is selective, and the research is rigorous — culminating in an oral presentation and written report for publication.

The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology is a major source of the innovation and brainpower that drives the Israeli economy, and a key to Israel’s renown as the world’s “Start-Up Nation.” Its three Nobel Prize winners exemplify academic excellence. Technion people, ideas and inventions make immeasurable contributions to the world including life-saving medicine, sustainable energy, computer science, water conservation and nanotechnology.

American Technion Society (ATS) donors provide critical support for the Technion – more than $1.7 billion since its inception in 1940. Based in New York City, the ATS and its network of chapters across the U.S. provide funds for scholarships, fellowships, faculty recruitment and chairs, research, buildings, laboratories, classrooms and dormitories, and more.