Pioneer Research Resources

About the scholar: Lutfi Eren Erdogan grew up in Turkey and attended Uskudar American Academy in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Research:

Using advanced computer technology to classify medical images has proven challenging because the datasets of images are limited in size and mostly lack annotations, whereas the supervised convolutional neural networks that can aid diagnosis generally require large datasets annotated by experts to guarantee high performance. Pioneer scholar Lutfi thought a semi-supervised neural network might be used to train a powerful classifier that could provide accurate results. His semi-supervised classification approach worked well with medical datasets with limited images and few labels, outperforming a state-of-the-art classification network. Lutfi has made his code available for public use as part of his paper.

About the scholar: Jiaying Liu grew up in China and attended Indian Springs School in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

The Research:

Plastic in the ocean is one of the greatest concerns in today’s world. Among its lesser known damaging effects is its role in transporting invasive species. Pioneer scholar Jiaying was curious about how different countries manage the dangers of coastal plastic debris. Through analyzing reports from Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and California, she found that there was no consistent methodology for assessing the biological risk or reporting the results of mitigation efforts. She also found that public participation in clean-up efforts, and in particular educating the public to recognize biological invasion vectors and help collect data, is an underused resource.

About the scholar: Chuhan Zhang grew up in China and attended Nanjing Jinling High School International Department in Nanjing, China.

The Research:

Motivated by a transition in the image of the wolf in Chinese media “from a despicable villain to an object of worship,” Pioneer scholar Chuhan decided to research the actual relationship between wolves and humans in Tibet. She examined the figure of “wolf” in ancient and modern Chinese literature, then interviewed Tibetan pastoralists whose herds are subject to wolf predation. She found that Buddhists, who believe in the equality of all life, in general have a “live and let live” attitude, while Tibetan pastoralists, who no longer have access to guns, find the conflict with wolves a constant concern.

About the scholar: Bangjun Yue grew up in China and attended Institut Le Rosey in Rolle, Switzerland.

The Research:

Pioneer scholar Bangjun begins her paper with a hypothetical case of the use of growth hormones on two boys, one short because of a genetic defect, the other short because of inherited genes. She uses this case to examine positive eugenics (species enhancement) and negative eugenics (disease elimination). She raises several moral and ethical questions stemming from the possibility of gene manipulation in human beings: unintended consequences, lack of responsibility, interference with natural processes, impact on the long-term development of the species. Bangjun concludes that these questions should be addressed seriously by the human community before eugenics is widely used.

About the scholar: Zhanhao Zhang grew up in China and attended Shen Wai International School in Shenzhen, China.

The Research:

The idea that “entrepreneurial activities and the introduction of new means for production stimulate economic growth” has strongly influenced the business world for several decades. However, scholars have questioned this premise, and research has not revealed a strong correlation between innovation and economic growth. Pioneer scholar Zhanhao tested the theory further by using tools of quantitative analysis. He found only weak links between entrepreneurship and innovation and the economy of the United States in the years 2011-2018. He suggests that further research to yield more compelling results would include a greater date range and materials from other countries.

About the Scholar: Yixuan Zhao grew up in China and attended Shenzhen College of International Education in Shenzhen, China

The Research:

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a widespread disease that is commonly signaled by a buildup of plaque in the femoral artery. This plaque can cause ruptures that lead to strokes and even death. Although plaque in other arteries has been studied extensively, little attention has been paid to the femoral artery. Pioneer scholar Yixuan used the diagnostic possibilities of computational fluid dynamics to design a prototype of a non-invasive predictive system that would be easy for doctors and patients to understand, and could lead to the development of personalized treatments to address the disease in its early stages.

About the scholar: Yuting Huang grew up in China and attended Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana, USA

The Research:

Macrophage Migration Inhibition Factor (MIF) has been shown to promote the growth of tumors in several different kinds of cancer. Pioneer scholar Yuting wondered if identifying increased MIF production might be an early indicator of cancer, and if finding ways of counteracting such production might be a promising treatment. She proposes a series of experiments to test MIF levels in patients with and without cancer, and to test the effectiveness of various MIF production suppressors, some of which might be used along with current cancer treatments. The goal is to improve cancer treatment while reducing its harm to the patient.