Two city students named to science team

By Denise Ryan, Vancouver Sun – March 31, 2010, p. A2

Two Vancouver high school students have scored big, landing spots on Youth Science Canada’s Team Canada, and the opportunity to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

Team Canada selected 16 students from across the country. Mary Zhao of Sir Winston Churchill secondary and Claire Edgcumbe of Kitsilano secondary will compete with other high school students from more than 50 countries for more than $4 million in scholarships and prizes.

Edgcumbe was chosen for her project, exploring the question “Do NMDA Receptors Affect Early Brain Development?” Zhao’s project was titled “Grasping Water: Exploring a Novel Method of Inducing Precipitation.”

The competition, which runs from May 9 to 15, will be held in San Jose, Calif. It is the largest student science fair in the world.

In last year’s competition, Team Canada distinguished itself with six grand awards and three special awards.