California seventh-grader tests brain injury treatment on 350 fruit flies
A California middle school student, Alekha Goldberg, has become a finalist in a national STEM competition for her research on using methylene blue to treat traumatic brain injuries in fruit flies. Her project was inspired by her brother's personal experience with a brain injury.
Why it matters
It highlights youth engagement in medical research and the potential for repurposing existing medications for neuroprotection.
When Alekha Goldberg’s older brother suffered a traumatic brain injury during a violent attack in Washington, D.C., she saw how deeply the injury changed his everyday life. He faced long-term problems with memory, thinking and brain fatigue, difficulties that affected both his work and daily routines. Rather than simply feeling helpless, the California seventh grader turned her concern into a science project that examined whether an existing medication could protect the brain after injury.
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