GAITHERSBURG, Md., March 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- MedImmune, Inc. presented its “Advancing Science for Better Health” Award to Montgomery Blair High School senior Kiran Belani at the 50th annual Montgomery Area Science Fair, held this month at Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The award is designed to recognize the scientific work of a current Montgomery County high school junior or senior.
MedImmune employee judges awarded Belani’s project, “Effect of a Laminin Alpha-1 Chain Peptide, AG73, on Breast Cancer Cell Metastasis,” as the best example of the award’s spirit and purpose. The team of MedImmune judges looked at 25 individual projects in the fields of biochemistry, medicine and health, and microbiology. Criteria for evaluation included alignment with MedImmune’s core values, which are entrepreneurial spirit, high integrity, collaboration and strong work ethics. Belani is proud of her project’s work, saying, “Even though I barely scratched the surface, my project did take a step into looking at how breast cancer spreads through the body.”
Belani, who plans to attend Duke University in the fall, received a trophy, award certificate, $100 gift check and an offer for a six-week paid internship at MedImmune. Belani commented, “The internship at MedImmune sounds amazing, and I would definitely like to take advantage of it.”
This is the second year MedImmune has sponsored the Montgomery Area Science Fair and offered the special award. JoAnn Suzich, Ph.D., senior director, infectious disease research, and a 13-year MedImmune veteran, gave the keynote address at the award ceremony this year. Among her many accomplishments, Dr. Suzich managed the original team at MedImmune who pioneered the company’s early development work of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in the mid 1990’s.
Toni Stiefel, director, community relations at MedImmune, noted how the company’s continued support of science and health education is expanding. “Advancing health and science education is a key objective for MedImmune. By supporting the science fair, we can participate in our local communities and, in the long-term, encourage students to pursue careers in science,” she said. “This year MedImmune is sponsoring fairs in the four U.S. cities where the majority of our employees work and live. Each site’s employees participate by serving as science fair judges and, subsequently, by mentoring a local student through the awarded internship. It’s exciting to work on a corporate initiative that has such local relevance.”
About MedImmune, Inc.
MedImmune strives to provide better medicines to patients, new medical options for physicians, rewarding careers to employees, and increased value to shareholders. Dedicated to advancing science and medicine to help people live better lives, the company is focused on the areas of infectious diseases, cancer and inflammatory diseases. With more than 2,200 employees worldwide, MedImmune is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland. For more information, visit the company’s website at http://www.medimmune.com.
MedImmune, Inc.
CONTACT: Clarencia Stephen of MedImmune, Inc., +1-301-398-4073
Web site: http://www.medimmune.com//
