Amy Cindy Chyao
Texas
Plano East Senior High School
Amy Cindy Chyao, 17, of Richardson, developed a novel photosensitizer that will expand the capability of photodynamic therapy (PDT)
to treat cancer for her Intel Science Talent Search chemistry project. PDT uses harmless wavelengths of light to activate a
photosensitizer — a non-toxic drug — which produces cytoxic oxygen to kill cancer cells. PDT can be site-specific and non-invasive, but is
currently limited to treating surface tumors or tumors that can be reached with fiber optic endoscopes. Amy developed her photosensitizer
by attaching a nitric oxide donor to titanium dioxide nanotubes treated with lead sulfide. When activated, the nitric oxide efficiently
generates the most effective type of cancer-destroying oxygen. Amy believes her development is a step toward the non-invasive treatment
of deep tumors and metastases. Amy has perfect ACT scores and is first in her class of 1,473 at Plano East Senior High School,
where she is president of Learning About Science and Engineering Research. An accomplished cellist, Amy plays with several orchestras, and
she created a nonprofit organization that helps immigrant children learn to spell. The daughter of Tim Chyao and Kate Wang, she is a
co-author of two articles in peer-reviewed journals.
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