Nick Daley ’19 Honored as Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar

Senior Nick Daley has earned the prestigious distinction of being named a Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar for 2019. For his work in Belmont Hill’s Advanced Science Research class Nick has worked at Harvard's Xie Lab.

“Nick has long been a leader on campus and in the classroom, and I am pleased—though not surprised—that he has been recognized both by the School's faculty and on a national stage,” said science teacher and Advanced Science Research Director Jared Courtney ’97. “Nick's hard work and consistent effort, which carried him through ups and downs in nearly two years' worth of professional science research at the Xie lab, represent the best of what Belmont Hill students can be.”

Nick's work involves exploring the details of how DNA folds and is expressed in cells. For the first time, he is using a technique—DIP-C—to explore the way mouse facial cells change their DNA packing and expression as the cells age. Hopefully, this will illuminate the way other organisms' cells also change, which could eventually lead to therapeutic treatment of human disease.

He joins just 300 other students around the country who attain this honor. As recognition for this accomplishment, Nick earns himself and the School a monetary award, and entry into further competition to become a Science Talent Search Scholar Finalist, which is the top 40 high school science students in the country.

Nick is the fifth Belmont Hill student in the past 7 years to earn this distinction, and the sixth in the school's history. His work places Belmont Hill among just 184 U.S. high schools to have earned the Science Talent Search Scholar distinction. 

Regeneron Science Talent Search is the nation's "oldest and most prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors. It recognizes and empowers promising young scientists in the U.S. who are creating the ideas and solutions that will address our world's most urgent challenges.”