The students in New Rochelle High School’s Science Research Program explore a dazzling range of topics under the mentorship of experts from some of the top institutions of learning and exploration. Students’ projects will regularly be featured in the district's Newsletter.
Student: Alessandra Pappalardi, junior
Mentor: Dr. Cynthia Silva, Division Head, Nephrology; Director of Dialysis and Apheresis Services, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Hartford, Conn.
Viewers of medical dramas on television watch discussions about numerous rare or fatal diseases, as well as many common or less infamous ones.
Alessandra Pappalardi, a participant in New Rochelle High School’s Science Research Program, wanted to use her project to research one of these less-well-known diseases. She decided to focus on pediatric kidney issues.
“My family has a history of kidney issues, myself included,’ said Pappalardi. “Being a film and television geek at heart, I noticed these afflictions are hardly covered by the entertainment industry and are also scarcely represented on social media platforms and news outlets. The Science Research Program allowed me to combine my interests in both nephrology and the media.”
Pappalardi surveyed the general public’s comprehension of pediatric nephrology in addition to what people have learned about it through media including news programs, the entertainment industry and social media. She found that, despite the prevalence of kidney disease across multiple age groups and races, it doesn’t get much coverage.
“Upon questioning participants about their perceptions of the illness, I found a majority of participants believed the information they absorbed through news networks is unreliable,” said Pappalardi. “They also doubted that the film industry’s inaccurate portrayals of youths suffering from illnesses could benefit recovering patients in any way. Overall, participants believed that different types of media glamorize the serious nature of diseases for the sake of entertainment and profit.”
Pappalardi’s experience in the Science Research Program has pushed her to contemplate her career path. She was pleased to have the opportunity to blend two major areas of interest. While she hasn’t yet fully determined where life after high school will take her, she believes research will be a part of it.
“The Science Research Program has already shaped my high school experience so much, and I hope that it will continue to do so,” she said.