Pioneer Academics is proud to announce that 131 papers authored by scholars from the 2023 academic year have been nominated for publication in The Pioneer Research Journal, an annual publication showcasing the most outstanding undergraduate-level research and writing generated by the high school students from around the world who participated in this year’s program.
These scholars come from 113 schools representing 17 countries and regions. The nominated research papers present innovative analysis and new knowledge in a wide range of academic fields spanning STEM, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Pre-professional disciplines.
Pioneer Academics’ research program is the world’s only fully-accredited online research program for high school students. These nominated research papers form the capstone of the Pioneer Research Program in which motivated and exceptional high school students from around the world pursue original research under the mentorship of world class professors in Pioneer’s academic system. The scholars enrolled in the program meet online with small international cohorts in seminar-style sessions in their research concentration before moving on to work individually with the professor to generate an undergraduate-level research paper on an original topic they are required to develop.
All of the research papers completed by Pioneer Scholars undergo rigorous academic oversight, each one representing a significant achievement in original exploration and discovery and held to the highest academic standards. The 131 papers nominated for the 2023 edition of The Pioneer Journal, which marks the 10th volume, comprise the top 8.9% of the papers produced during Pioneer’s 2023 Spring and Summer terms. The nominated papers will now be evaluated in a comprehensive review process which includes a double-blind review conducted by a panel of more than 40 university faculty from leading institutions in the United States.
We look forward to announcing the papers selected for publication shortly after the start of the new year. In the meantime, we congratulate the authors of all the nominated papers, each of whom exemplifies the academic rigor embodied by the Pioneer system. For a complete list of nominated papers and authors, please see the chart below.
Scholar Name
Scholar School
Scholar Country/Region (by school)
Pioneer Research Area
Pioneer Research Topic
Aashna Kaur Soni
BASIS Independent Fremont Upper School
United States
Biology / Math / Computer Science
Identification of Methylomic and Transcriptomic Biomarkers for Cancer Subtype Classification
Ahmet Tolga Karabulut
İstanbul Bahçeşehir High School for Science and Technology
Turkey
Economics
Comparative Analysis of Economic Growth in Basque Country and Southeastern Anatolia:A Case Study for Autonomous Regions Around the World
Ajooni Kaur
Silver Creek High School
Political Science
Factors Surrounding Women's Political Participation in India: A Comprehensive Analysis
Alikhan Serikuly
National School of Physics and Mathematics
Kazakhstan
Chemistry
Biochemical Properties and Potential Benefits of Creatine as a Dietary Supplement
Alyssa Grace Vassel
Lee Academy
Psychology
A Controversial Measure of Discipline: The Immediate and Long-Term Cognitive-Behavioral Effects of Corporal Punishment
Anbang Zhu
Wuxi Big Bridge Academy
China
Sociology / Media Studies
Regulation and Reclamation: Pepe the Frog Memes and Social Media Moderation
Angelica
Jakarta Intercultural School
Indonesia
Biology / Environmental Studies
Conservation Status of Sumatran and Bornean Orangutans in Deforested Areas
Angelina H. Wang
Hong Kong International School
China - Hong Kong
Polyaniline: Exploration of a Unique Polymer for Photocatalytic Water Splitting as a Renewable Energy Alternative
Anna Chen
New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math High School
Biology
Insights From Acne-Induced Gene Expression Linked With UVB and Melanoma Implicate a Common Skincare Ingredient, Arachidonic Acid, and Reveal East Asian Melanoma Advantage
Annika Vuppala
Skyline High School
Chemistry / Biology
Introducing Annirubicin: A Less Cardiotoxic Therapeutic for Leukemia
Ashley Lee Kim
Korea International School
South Korea
Engineering / Physics
Design of a Narrow Band Hydrogen-Alpha Astrophotography Filter Based on One Dimensional Photonic Crystals
Audrey Chang
Mountain Vista High School
Psychology / Media Studies
The Effects of Gym-Centric Social Media Posts on Young Men’s Body Image and Intentions to use Body Supplements
Batu Yalcin
Robert College of Istanbul
Mathematics / Physics
Proof of the MacMahon Formula for Plane Partitions
Brady Dylan Galperson
Loyola High School of Los Angeles
Business / Psychology
Self- Versus Other-Gain Appeals to Encourage Monetary Donations for Charitable Organizations
Brandon Hu
Biotechnology High School
Neuroscience / Biology
Linking calcium, myosin, and the tip link to mechanisms mediating slow adaptation in hair cells
Brian Eng
Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School
Physics
Tackling the Baryon Asymmetry: An Examination of the Sakharov Conditions and Their Importance for Baryogenesis
Bryan Minze Li
Saratoga High School
Computer Science
A Review of Common Cryptographic Vulnerabilities
Ceyda TURNA
Kemerburgaz Bahcesehir High School for Science and Technology
Engineering
An Application Of Bat Features To Flapping Wing Air Vehicles For Improved Aerodynamic Properties
Chase Teichholz
The Bronx High School of Science
STS/History
Navigating the Chaos: Scientific Advancement and War in the Seventeenth Century
Chengqi Ma
Shanghai Pinghe School
Economics / Business
Associations between Country-Level Digitization, Formation of Imperfect Markets, and Firm-Level Productivity
Chenxu Zhang
Beijing City International School
The Relative Persuasiveness of Gain- and Loss-Framed Messages on Changing Drivers’ Attitudes and Intentions to Drive Aggressively
Pak Yi (Cheryl) Chen
Havergal College
Canada
Literature
The Violence of Category: Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior and its Disruption of Both Cultural and Literary Canon
Chloe Gu
Shanghai High School International Division
Engineering / Computer Science
Design of a Fine Motor Skill Training Smart Toy for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Clara Bahareh Murray
Piedmont High School
Examining Molecular Characteristics and Scent Through Pyrazine Analysis
Courtney Xia
Shanghai American School Pudong
Gender Studies / Sociology
How do sociocultural norms lead to gender segregation and the wage gap in law?
Derrick Dai-Hong Ho
Menlo School
Engineering / Mathematics
Machine Learning Flood Prediction: Using Mathematica’s Predict Function to Forecast USGS River Gauge #11118500 Gauge Height With Precipitation Data
Dingrui Yang
The Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University
The Energy Band Structure of a Quantum Dot Crystal
Eliana Du
West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South
Physics / Mathematics
A Qualitative Comparison of the Fast Fourier Transform and the Morlet Wavelet Transform for Potential Depression Diagnosis Using Resting-State Electroencephalographic Data
Enyan Zhang
George School
Education / STS
Understanding How Students Respond to Technology Use and Their Alignment with the Teacher-Intended Response
Enyi Tan
International Department, The Affiliated High School of SCNU
Film Studies / Gender Studies
Undying Nostalgia: The Curative Imaginary in Zombie Narratives
Ethan Jared Chan
British School Manila
Philippines
A Proposal to Implement 1D Photonic Crystals with Defect for Biosensing Dengue Virus
Fidha Ara Chowdhury
DeLand High School
Neuroscience
The Interplay of Hurt and Healing: An Investigation of the Interconnectedness of Social and Physical Pain
Guqiao Wang
History
Colonialism and the Anglo-Chinese Curriculum in 19th-Century Hong Kong
Haiyue Li
Political Science / International Relations / Sociology / Gender Studies
Life Politics Between Smoke and Mirrors: Behavior and Self-Identity of Female Smokers in China
Haoqing Wang
Shanghai Foreign Language School Affiliated to SISU
Anthropology / History
Two Generations of the Catholic Experience in China
Hazem Hassan
STEM High School For Boys - 6th of October
Egypt
Astronomy / Physics
Continuous Gravitational Waves from Gravitars in Quadratic F(R) Modified Gravity
Hengrui Zhu
BASIS International school Park Lane Harbor
Ideology-Based Voting and Quality of Democracy: A Correlational Study
Ishitta Groverr
Strawberry Fields High School
India
To what extent can Behavioral Economics interventions be used to encourage health insurance take-up among young adults?
Jaeha Jang
Cranbrook Kingswood School
Anthropology / Sociology / Literature / Culture Studies / Gender Studies
Applications of and Challenges to Freud’s Oedipus Complex in Hermann Hesse’s Demian
Jaeim Paik
United World College Of Southeast Asia
Singapore
Anthropology / Sociology / Culture Studies
Environmental support around the world: To what extent are age and birth cohort a factor in determining attitudes towards environmental protection?
Jayce Tenshi Walton
Langley High School
Mathematics
The Code in the Hat: Hamming Codes Applied to Ebert’s Hat Puzzle
Jeremy Tu
Memorial High School
An In(Queer)y Into Title VII: How Bostock v. Clayton County Fails Bisexual and Nonbinary Employees
Jessie Qi-Shan Li
Sociology / Political Science
“We are children of the Zhonghua”: Examining the Desirability of Integration Among Ethnic Majority and Minorities in China
Jiahan Lyu
Nanjing Jinling High School
Poltical Science / International Relations
Public Perceptions of Affirmative Action for Ethnic Minorities in the National College Entrance Exam in China: A Content Analysis and Interview Study
Jiaxing Li
Piedmont Hills High School
A Simulated Annealing Approach to Identical Parallel Machine Scheduling
Jiaxun Zhang
Economics / Environmental Studies
Harnessing Consumer Power: Exploring Collective Boycotting as a Strategy to Combat Corporate Greenwashing
Jiayi Wu
Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School
Sociology / Political Science / History
Shout through the Air: Rhetoric of China’s Lower-Class "Toilet Girl" as Empowerment and Subversion
Jixuan Wang
Keystone Academy
The Mobilizing Role of Pictures in Online Protestation: What do Pictures Bring that Words Don’t?
Jordan Sun Labio
The Harker School
Computer Science / Engineering
Building a Mobile Basketball Shot Form Corrector Using Machine Learning
Juhyun Nam
History / Culture Studies
Education and Technology for Ethnic Minorities in Hong Kong
Ka Pui Cheung
Shenzhen Vanke Meisha Academy
STS / International Relations / Political Science
Evaluating GPT-4's Ability in Detecting JavaScript Malware
Lal Zeynep Nizam
Hisar School
Cyber Utopias: Navigating the Boundless Realms of Human Potential in the Digital Frontier
Leshan Xue
St. George`s School
Environmental Studies / Ecology
Phytoremediation: A Promising Approach for Soil Remediation of Environmental Pollution
Lev Ermakov
Skyview Academy
Investigating the Potential of a CRISPR-Cas System SARS-CoV-2 Treatment Administered Through the Nasal Passage
Lyndia S. Lu
Predictive Modeling of Nucleoside Analog-Induced Antiviral Resistance Mutations in SARS-CoV-2
Megan Zhang
Branksome Hall School
Philosophy / STS
Three Close Readings and Psychoanalysis of the Doctor in “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams
Meixia Li
Neuroscience / Biology / Psychology / Chemistry
Relaxing Regulations: A Way Out of the Vicious Cycle of Stigma of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in the United States
Mengyue Chen
BASIS International School of Hangzhou
Music / Anthropology
Harmonizing Gender: Exploring Dynamics in Private Chinese Piano Education
Michael Gan
Dulwich College Shanghai Pudong
Architecture
Reinterpreting Architectural Heritage: Reflecting the Past and Shaping the Future in the Adaptive Reuse of Columbia Circle
Mihaela Petrova Tzvetkova
American College of Sofia
Bulgaria
Circadian Rhythms and Breast Cancer: Exploring the Molecular Interactions of the CLOCK Gene with Estrogen Receptor Alpha
Mira Steinberg
United World College Mostar
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Culture Studies / Anthropology
The Language of Pain in Biomedicine and in Social Life
Mohamed Mahmoud
STEM High School for Boys - 6th of October
Mathematics / Computer Science
How to be #1 in the IOI? A study on Rating Nations Participating in the International Informatics Olympiad
Moling Fang
Nanjing Foreign Language School
A Review on the Conservation Status of Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)
Nathan Dai
Canyon Crest Academy
Evaluating Performance and Resource United Statesge for Machine-Learning-Based Intrusion Detection Systems
Nehir Yel
Diyarbakir Bahcesehir College Science and Technology High School
Environmental Studies / Biology
Global Warming and Altered Flowering Phenology: Ecological, Cultural, and Economic Dimensions
Nengyi Jonathan Jiang
Seven Lakes High School
Physics / Computer Science / Mathematics
Can you always hit a hole-in-one?
Netra Mehta
Paramus High School
Economics / Mathematics
A Game-Theoretic Approach to Central Bank Communication
Nisa Akgöz
Konya Meram Science High School
Philosophy
Heidegger’s Notion of the Home with Authenticity: A New Worlding instead of Modernity
Nivriti Puri
Canadian International School of India
The Creation of Music-Induced Analgesia in Chronic Pain Patients through Endogenous Opioid Production: A Narrative Review and Meta-Analysis
Peifeng Huang
International Department, The Affiliated high school of SCNU
Economic Dynamics in ASEAN Countries: A Solow Growth Model Approach
Prahit Yaugand
Mission San Jose High School
Digital Semaphores: Voice Recognition using Visual Microphones
Puxin Zhao
Collingwood School
Economics / International Relations / Political Science
An Analysis and Prognosis of the Volcker Rule
Qianhao Yang
YK Pao School
Does the Government’s Use of Emergencies Offer a Justification for Abridging Individual Rights and Civil Liberties?
Qingyu Zhu
Shanghai United International School Gubei Campus
Design of a Photonic Crystal for Early Cancer Detection Using miRNA
Qinli Wu
Shenzhen Middle School
Art History / Achitecture / Sociology
POWER AND IDENTITY IN OPERA: Designs of Modernity in Richard Wagner’s Bayreuth Festspielhaus
Rebecca Li
International School of Beijing
The Incorporation of Female Perspectives in General Portrayals of the Hajj
Ryan Hong
Yongsan International School of Seoul
STS / Anthropology
Urbanization and Food Waste in South Korea: An Ethnographic and Cultural Analysis of the Food Supply Chain Dynamics
Serena Kesha
Marymount School
Ecology / Biology
The Role of Hybridization in Angiosperm Diversity
Shaamak Goyal
Monte Vista High School
Political Science / Economics / International Relations / Sociology
Effects of Social Capital Within Migrant Workers: Social Capital Within a New Japanese Society and Its Economic Impacts
Siddharth Manne
Sreenidhi International School
Biological implications of human space exploration: microgravity and radiation dysregulated genes
Sien Wang
The Masters School
History / Art History / Political Science
Beacon of Faith: A Comparative Analysis of Byzantine and Kyivan Iconography in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Sihao Jiang
Using molecular dynamics simulations to explore the diffusion of diabetes drugs through thermosensitive materials available for microneedles
Siheon Yang
Gangnam International School
Economics / International Relations
Trade and Development: A Modified Model Approach and the Role of the Government
Sohan Tarigopula
The International School Bangalore
Investigating the efficiency of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and CRISPR as potential treatments for beta-thalassemia
Sophia Ann Smith
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School
Music / Music Theory
Richard Strauss’s Macbeth and Don Juan: A Topic-Focused Analysis
Suhaib Mansour
East River High School
A Proposal to Investigate the Aerodynamics of Tilt-Rotor Systems in Transition Mode at Varying Angles of Attack: V-22 as an Example
Tianyi Shen
Environmental Studies
Treatment of Micro-plastic Related Pollution in Sewages along the Yangtze River: Waste Water Treatment Plants versus Constructed Wetlands
Tingxu Lan
Webb School Of California
Sociology
An Ethnographical Exploration of Sensory Stimulation in Chinese Hospices
Tingxuan Zhu
Beijing World Youth Academy
Literature / Philosophy
“From Transexual Transylvania” Examining the Concept of the Other in Horror Fiction Through Queer Theories
Tingzhi Di
The shaped intellectual: an analysis through Fang Fang and the Wuhan Diary
Vadiyah Abbas
Beaconhouse School System
Pakistan
RReducing Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's Disease by Amerliorating Tau Hyperphosphorylation in Mice Via a Comgination Drug Therapy
Wayne Guang-Yong Liang
Prince of Wales High School
International Relations / Political Science
Tajikistan Political Risk Analysis - CMEC Case Study
Weijia Lou
Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School
The Effect of a Cognitive Dissonance-Based Body Image Intervention for Chinese Young Adult Women, Considering Neuroticism as a Moderator
Weitao Ke
Montverde Academy Shanghai
Emergent Communication under Different Agent Populations: Investigating the Impact of Role Alteration on Language Generalizability
Wendi Zheng
Phillips Academy Andover
Finding the Optimal Combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine Drugs for Treating Alzheimer’s Disease Using Machine Learning
Wiann Wilson
Gems Wellington International School
United Arab Emirates
Gender Studies / Sociology / Political Science
What role does a change in political economy play in constructing contemporary moral panics surrounding the crisis of masculinity?
Xiang Wan
Assessing South Africa's Debt Sustainability: Growth, Electricity Infrastructures and Government Spending
Xiaoguo Geng
Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School
Environmental Studies / Sociology
Beijing Residential Heating System Electrification History and Future Development
Xin Ru Chew
Shanghai American School- Puxi Campus
The Influence of Variety Within a Positive Intervention on College Student’s Self-Initiation of It and Their Engagement Levels
Xinrui Huang
Shenzhen Foreign Languages School
Coincidence or Inevitability? A Quantitative Study on the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on International Merchandise Trade
Xinyi Yang
Prestonwood Christian Academy
Business / International Relations
Venture Capital Influence and Geographic Factors in Fintech Startup Growth: Insights from a 2017 Sample
Xinyu Liu
Hangzhou Foreign Languages School
Literature / Philosophy / STS
Reframing Aura: Walter Benjamin's Concepts in the Context of Artificial Intelligence
Xiu Lim
Choate Rosemary Hall
Analyzing the Effects of Green Policies on Singaporean Economic Growth using the Romer Growth Model
Yagiz Bayrak
Üsküdar American Academy
Analysis of Chaos and Synchronization of Chaos in Chua’s Circuit Using Permutation Entropy
Yanni Zhu
Unveiling the Minority Females’ Equality Enigma: Analyzing the Relationship between Educational Attainment and its Multifaceted Determinants
Yeonwoo Kim
North London Collegiate School Jeju
An investigation into the effect of tourism on water quality on Jeju Island, South Korea
Yerassyl Abilkassym
Nazarbayev Intellectual School Physics/Math Almaty
Hybrid Quantum-Classical Convolutional Neural Networks for the Chest X-Ray Pneumonia Classification
Yi Xin
Beijing Huijia Private School
Art History / Architecture
Transformations of the Great Mosque of Cordoba: Deciphering Political and Religious Messages in Medieval Spain
Yi You
Northfield Mount Hermon School
Investigating the Interplay Between E-cadherin Expression and Cancer Cell Metabolism: A Biophysical Perspective
YiFei Zhou
Isabel in the Gallery: How Art Explain and Sustain Characters in Henry James’ The Portrait of a Lady
Yingying Ren
International School of Amsterdam
Netherlands
Optimal Strategies and Center Control in n-Dimensional Tic-Tac-Toe: A Comprehensive Exploration
Yiwei Wang
La Canada High School
Research on Hexagonal Board Tiling Sequences and Its Recursive Formulas
Yizai Yin
Stevenson School
Education / Mathematics
Why do Girls Explore STEM Fields? Unfolding Reasons Behind Female Students’ Decisions to Participate in or Quit STEM Careers
Yizhou Xue
Mitigating the development of Alzheimer’s Disease through cost-effective cognitive training
Youyou Zhu
Buckingham Browne and Nichols School
Poetry Translation in the Age of Machines via Julia de Burgos’ “Río Grande de Loíza”
Yuang Sun
Hwa Chong Institution
Neuroscience / Computer Science
The neuroprotective effects of caffeine on oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction and its impacts on Alzheimer's disease and dementia
Yue Zhan
The High School Affiliated to Renmin University of China
STS/Anthropology
Exploring Media Engagement Among Individuals with Visual Disabilities in the Digital Era: A Case Study in Beijing, China
Yueming Qi
The Hill School
Architecture / Art History
The Villa Savoye: Embodiment of Classics and Modern
Yunxi Zhao
Chinese International School
Nanoparticle-mediated water remediation: Investigating the efficacy and ecological impact of Biosynthesized zinc oxide nanoparticles for removing heavy metal ions from contaminated water
Yuxuan David Zhang
Tsinghua International School
Psychology / Environmental Studies
Proposal to Investigate Symbiont Shuffling Possible Trigger Points in Coral Bleaching
Yuxuan Li
Saint Michaels University School
Psychology / Gender Studies / Sociology
“Watch Your Language!”: Gendered Derogations’ Effect on the Perceptions of Women
Zhenpeng Liu
Guangdong Country Garden School
Unveiling the Mechanism of Allicin: A Molecular Docking Study on its Interaction with SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease (Mpro)
Zhiheng Mai Mai
Tabor Academy
Anthropology / Culture Studies / Psychology
Appropriation and Adaptation: How European Artists drew inspiration from Japan, West Africa, and Oceanic Islands to Construct Modern European Artistic Expressions
Zhongyi Peng
Education
A Comparative Study of Empathy-based Pedagogical Strategies in the U.S. and Chinese Educational Curricula
Zhouru Fang
South Hills Academy
To What Extent Does Urban Green Gentrification Promote or Impede Social Justice? A Case Study in London
Zihuan Zhang
Shenzhen College of International Education
Psychology / Neuroscience / Biology
The influence of audio-visual integration on the global-local processing of music in absolute pitch possessors
Ziting Gao
Jenks High School
Philosophy / History
Ad Infinitum: The Freedom-Centered Development of Human Rights Based on the Hegelian Speculative Philosophy of History
Ziting Keven Pi
Saint Georges School
The Resurgence of “Yellow Peril” Sentiments in an Era of China's Rise
Zixiu Chen
The “Martian” Register and Shamate Subculture in China: Youths Lost in Chinese Urbanization
Zixuan Hong
BASIS International School Guangzhou
Sociology / Economics
The Effect of Right-to-Work Laws on Labor Unions and Workers
Ziyi Xie
Hexagon Tiling Numbers and Their Identities
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