Foundation honors Essex teen for work on HIV test

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October 25, 2007

By Kristen Grieco, Staff writer The Gloucester Daily Times Thu Oct 25, 2007, 11:32 PM EDT

W hile many teenagers spent their summer days on the beach, Greg Polley tried to figure out how to diagnose HIV in Africa.

The work paid off: The 17-year-old Manchester Essex

senior was named a semifinalist for a prestigious national

science award this week, and the device he created with a lab colleague could go to market as a rapid and efficient HIV test.

Polley of Essex was one of

only 294 students across the country named a semifinalist this week in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology. More than 1,500 students entered the competition, a record number for the foundation.

According to Siemens spokeswoman Valerie Francois, entrants were judged on the originality and creativity of their research projects by about 50 judges from all over the country. The judges, all tops in their fields, she said, come together for three or four days and choose the winners.

Polley and Ashwin Suresh, an Acton resident who attends Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, N.H., submitted their project together after working on the device as interns at an Massachusetts Institute of Technology lab in Cambridge over the summer.

The device that the lab colleagues built counts white blood cells — a way to diagnose HIV. The pair discovered that their device, which is small,

inexpensive and rapid, was

95 percent efficient in all the experiments they did.

For those less familiar with science, Polley translates: “So they worked, basically. With a few small changes, they could probably be put onto the market as an easy HIV diagnosis.”

Specifically, Polley said, the tests will give areas that are “resource-limited” and don’t have a lot of money a device to monitor HIV. Polley said that the lab is continuing to work on bringing the product to market.

Assistant Principal Paul Murphy said that Polley was the first person to win this kind of award at the high school in his memory.

“He’s a terrific young man,” Murphy said. “Bright, articulate and energetic. He’s the kid you look to when you think of someone who’s going to be involved with science.”

Siemens will be sending the high school a banner to let passers-by know that the school is attended by a competition semifinalist. He’ll also receive a gift pack and recognition on the foundation’s Web site.

Francois said that the award also carries heavy weight for students’ post-high school plans. In January, Polley will be invited to become a part of the Siemens Alumni network, which Francois said will give him the opportunity to connect with other young scientists.

“A lot of them are working at the Ph.D level,” Francois said. “He’ll be welcomed into that whole network of scholars. It comes with a lot of notoriety.” She added that most universities know about the award, which she called the most prestigious science award in the country.

The recognition has further spurred Polley’s interest in science. He had never written a paper like this before, but now said he plans to continue his studies with another lab internship next summer and his college plans will likely include science.

“I didn’t know how I could write a real research paper like this and actually get recognition for it,” Polley said. He’s now working with his teacher, Maria Burgess, on another paper on this project for an Intel competition.

Polley’s recognition is apparently part of an overriding attitude at the high school.

“In this school district, it’s cool to be smart,” Murphy said. “Kids continue to amaze me with how bright and driven they are, and that’s exactly what Greg is. We’re expecting great things from him.”

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Foundation honors Essex teen for work on HIV test

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