Bank of Canton awards $1,000 to CHS student

Anvitha Addanki (right) stands next to her science fair project’s fruit fly enclosure, along with Bank of Canton AVP/Branch Manager David Scarcella.

Bank of Canton recently donated $1,000 to Canton High School sophomore Anvitha Addanki to help cover research expenses associated with her award-winning 2018 science fair project.

Addanki’s project examined the effects of nicotine and alcohol on fruit flies’ reproductive health, as well as herbal remedies to potentially mitigate those effects. Her work was awarded second prize at the 2018 regional science fair in Bridgewater.

“Understanding the fruit flies’ response to these chemicals is a first step toward helping human beings,” Addanki said. “My goal with this research was to begin to learn how organic substances might be able to improve reproductive health in people in later years of life.”

In order to analyze the changes in the fruit flies’ ovaries and RNA, Addanki utilized the advanced imaging capabilities of a high-powered confocal microscope at Boston University’s research lab facility. Bank of Canton’s $1,000 donation helped offset the lab and equipment fees that Addanki and Canton High School incurred.

Addanki is the captain of the CHS science team and a member of the CHS Community Problem Solving team Project SAVE (Substance Abuse Victim Empowerment), which is dedicated to improving the lives of people who have been impacted by substance abuse. As an eighth grader, she earned first prize at the Massachusetts state science fair and was a national semifinalist at the Project CSGirls competition in Washington, D.C., for developing a wearable device that transmits information about Alzheimer’s and ALS patients’ environments to their offsite caregivers. She was listed among the Huffington Post’s “Top 30 Middle School Girls Changing the World with Tech” that year.

“We applaud Ms. Addanki’s commitment to helping others through science and public heath initiatives, especially at such a young age,” said Bank of Canton President and CEO Stephen P. Costello. “Bank of Canton is proud to help her gain access to the scientific tools and technology that are vital to her research and career aspirations, and we look forward to her future success and accomplishments.”

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=38765

Posted by Canton Citizen on Apr 28 2018. Filed under Business. Both comments and pings are currently closed.