March 4, 2005

Future scientists showcase their skills

The MGH/Timilty Partnership held its annual weeklong science fair at the James P. Timilty Middle School Feb. 7 to 10 with more than 600 students presenting science projects. The students from grades six through eight were judged by 60 volunteers from the MGH community, including first-time judge Alejandro Morales, MD, from the Renal Unit, and longtime judge Vincent Riggi, from MGH Respiratory Care Services. Thirteen students were selected to compete at the Boston Citywide Science Fair March 5.

Each year the MGH/Timilty Partnership Science Connection Program matches Timilty students with mentors from the MGH. This year, MGH employees mentored 31 students, and 10 of these students will compete at the regional level. For a second year, eighth grader Kathleen St. Fleur worked with her mentor, Caroline Benn, of MGH Neurology. St. Fleur's project "What is the optimal MgCI2 concentration for PCR amplification of the D2 dopamine receptor gene?" was one of the projects selected to compete at the citywide level.

For more information about the partnership, call (617) 445-5712 or send e-mail to
sberglund@partners.org.

John Driscoll of MGH Police and Security with a Timilty student