The High School Health Research Forum Expo
A big portion of the forum’s value of connection comes from written health research. The HSHRF Expo displays high school student research dedicated to health, which is an opportunity for peers to learn and connect through words, on a wide scale. The HSHRF encourages students to submit their health research in almost all mediums, such as proposals, literature review posters, abstracts, methodologies, reports, brief manuscripts, original articles, and more.
When submitting your work, recognize whether your submission falls under this definition by Harvard Countway Library:
The term "health research" refers to research that is done to learn more about human health. Health research also aims to find better ways to prevent and treat disease. It is an important way to help improve the care and treatment of people worldwide (Research Guides: Participating in Health Research Studies: What Is Health Research?, 2020).
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By submitting any work, you agree to allow HSHRF to review and potentially showcase or peer-edit your research. Your personal information and research will be handled with the utmost confidentiality and will not be shared with third parties without your explicit consent. For more details, please refer to our full Privacy Policy.
Explore the Expo
The Dangerous Side of Social Media: The Impact on the Mental Health of Youth and Adolescents
By:Ayman Sareshwala, Gems Founders School - Al Barsha
This article explores the relationship between social media and mental health in the youth. It also focuses on how social media increases anxiety and depression. Three major negative effects of social media which are cyberbullying, deprived sleep and social comparision. It is concluded that social media does indeed have a considerable negative on the mental health of youth.
Nutritional Intake & its Impact on Immune Function in the Elderly
By: Ifra Iyoob, Palm Desert High School
In this research article, I observed the effects of nutritional intake on the function of the immune system in elderly. I looked at specific nutrients, including vitamin E, zinc, and n-3 PUFA and how both deficiencies and over-consumption can impact the efficiency of the adaptive immune system in older individuals.
Association Between Physical Activity and Neurodegenerative Diseases in Elderly
By: Ifra Iyoob, Palm Desert High School
In this article, Ifra looked at the benefits of physical activity as a preventative measure for neurodegenerative disease development in the elderly. She completed this as a part of a larger research paper she completed as research director of AllForSmiles, a non-profit focused on senior health.
For most neurodegenerative diseases– including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease (HD), and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTD)– age is the primary risk factor. All of the aforementioned diseases are much more common in elderly patients, and the risk increases with age. For instance, incidence of AD nearly doubles every five years after the age of 65. If that was not frightening enough, for those that reach the age of 90, about 1/3rd meets the criteria for dementia.
What's Wrong With A Little Less Sleep?: The Study Among Healthcare Workers and Their Patients
By: Allison Yee, Mount Hebron High School
The underlying cause of hospital patients being at risk for dangers is the lack of sleep medical workers receive daily. The research goes deep into the science of the cause, following the numbers go up, suggesting that the lack of sleep on the workers' end is dangerous for both the patients and themselves as it leads to poor cognitive function, and can lead to accidents in the workplace. The reason that it is essential to address sleep deprivation specifically in hospitals is because many health risks are being exposed there where patients are already vulnerable, and this issue can be dealt with, not adding it onto the pile.
Edible Mushroom vs Neurodegenerative Diseases: Antioxidant Properties and Possible Neurogenesis?
By: Farhan Zaman, Academia School (Bangladesh)
This paper consists of recent and previous literature on properties of medicinal mushrooms against deteriorating neurodegenerative diseases. It explores causes of neuron degeneration and the effects of certain compounds in mushrooms that tend to stop or even reverse further damage. The next portion talks about regeneration of neurons and glial cells due to mushroom supplements, causing a change in biochemistry and possibly treating NDs like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
The Effects of Different External Academic Pressures on the Mental Health of High School Students in the United States
By: Carys Doyle, Penncrest High School
For my study, I examined the effects of external academic pressures on the mental health of high school students in the United States. I analyzed three common pressure groups: teachers, parents, and peers. To do this, I released a questionnaire to students at a 9-12 United States high school and then analyzed the correlations between their levels of perceived pressure and their mental health status. At the conclusion of my study, although not statistically significant, I found that as external academic pressure increases, the mental health of high school students decreases.
The Ego Under Artificial Light: The Psychological Effects of Light Pollution on Humility and Self-Perception
By: Kavi Seidman, Venice Senior High School
This study investigates the impact of light pollution on personality traits such as humility, groundedness, and ego among individuals who grew up in different lighting environments in California specifically. Using a survey-based approach, data were collected from individuals who spent their formative years in either the highly light-polluted environment of Los Angeles or the relatively low-light environment of the Greater Palm Springs area. The results indicate that individuals from areas with high light pollution demonstrate higher levels of egoistic traits and lower levels of humility and groundedness. On the opposite, those from areas with low light pollution tend to display higher levels of humility and groundedness. These findings suggest that environmental factors, such as light pollution, could play a very significant role in shaping personality development, highlighting the need for urban planning that considers psychological as well as ecological impacts.
The Neuroimmunologic Impacts of Long Covid (SARS-CoV-2) and its Relation to Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Literature Review
By: Juliette Carson, High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering @ CCNY
This paper seeks to identify and understand the neuroimmunological impacts of Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) on neurologic degeneration, effect on proper functioning of the immune system and the conditions’ effects on the body on a molecular level.By doing extensive research, I found that Long COVID and ME/CFS have more overlap than just mutually affecting each other, but the very nature of the conditions are very similar and have similar effects on the body. This paper will seek to explain SARS-CoV-2 infections and ME/CFS, their neurological, immune and molecular effects.
Nepali chaupadi: A Human Rights Case Study
By: Ifra Iyoob, Palm Desert High School
In this research article, I observed the effects of the ancient practice of Nepali chaupadi on women. These effects included dehumanization, denial of education, and impacts on physical and mental health. I also explored as avenues for change.
Reviewing Kazakhstan’s Asbestos Industry As A Case Study On Worldwide Asbestos Consumption And Usage
By: Aleena Bacorro, Winsor School
Mesothelioma is a type of lung cancer that is typically caused by exposure to asbestos. Despite the proven carcinogenic effects of asbestos, many countries still produce, export, and/or import asbestos. In this review, I studied Kazakhstan, one of the world's largest asbestos producers, to better understand why a nation continues to be a part of the global asbestos production industry, and, why the asbestos industry continues to thrive. In order to do so, I read articles, analyzed death rates, and investigated economic trends. Eventually, I learned that the asbestos industry places countries in a vicious cycle where, despite the negative effects of manufacturing asbestos, nations may find that the economic advantages of continuing to export the substance outweigh the costs. The industry has trapped governments into investing in a product that, if left unchecked, can cause a mesothelioma epidemic in communities that do not yet have the means to treat it.
The Effects of antibiotics and natural extracts on the growth of staphylococcus epidermidis
By: Aleena Bacorro, Winsor School
The ultimate goal of this project, no matter the result, was to see if there were alternative, cost-effective, and/or accessible ways to treat bacterial infections that didn't require a doctor's prescription. I always knew I wanted to study Staphylococcus aureus due to its mutation into MRSA, a deadly flesh-eating bacterium. Unfortunately, due to institutional and legal restrictions, I had to substitute S. aureus for S. epidermidis, a non-pathogenic but otherwise identical bacterium. From there, I tried three substances that can be found in a local grocery store against bacitracin, an over-the-counter drug, and mupirocin, a prescription drug. Eventually, it was found that bacitracin, due to antibiotic resistance, was less effective than tea tree oil, one of the tested substances but was just as effective as the other two tested substances, if not a little less. Furthermore, despite mupirocin continuing to be the most effective substance, there is some hope that tea tree oil could be effective as well.
The Status of Breast Cancer Incidence in the United States and Asia
By: Mikayla Chan, Polytechnic School
Breast cancer, historically less common among Asian women compared to Western counterparts, is now on the rise in Asian populations. Recent studies show similar age-specific incidence rates of invasive breast cancer between Asian and US white women, suggesting converging trends. This shift is particularly notable among Asian American women, where breast cancer has become the predominant cancer type. From 1990 to 2014, breast cancer rates rose significantly among most Asian American ethnic groups, driven primarily by increases in ER-positive breast cancer. Factors such as acculturation and length of residence in the US are linked to higher breast cancer risks, with foreign-born Asian women showing lower incidence rates than their US-born counterparts. Lifestyle changes associated with Westernization, such as dietary habits and reproductive behaviors, contribute to the rising incidence.
Emerging Patterns of Breast Cancer Incidence in Asian Americans
By: Mikayla Chan, Polytechnic School
This poster aims to explore the emerging breast cancer rates specifically in Asian American females and share the importance of understanding the heterogeneity of the many Asian ethnicities. It was presented at the 2024 Annual American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) meeting.