15-Year-Old Science Prodigy – Jonece Layne

It’s a big accomplishment to start college at age 16, but for Carson Scholar Jonece Layne, it can be counted among the least of her achievements. Jonece, who is in her senior year of high school, has been honored at the White House, received the Rensselaer Medal, participates in the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth, and was one of 75 students in the world to be invited to the Research Science Institute this past summer.

The Research Science Institute (RSI) is a highly selective six-week program, sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which engages high school students in advanced scientific research. Every year, approximately 75 students from the U.S. and abroad who demonstrate an insatiable interest in the scientific world as well as academic aptitude in math and science are chosen to participate in RSI. As you can imagine, the program is highly competitive. RSI research is noted by faculty at MIT and Harvard as comparable to that of master’s level work. Jonece spent 4.5 weeks of RSI working in a molecular biology lab of the Boston University Medical Center under the direction of Dr. Maria Kukuruzinska. Her project concerned the effect of the regulatory loop between e-cadherin mediated adhesion and DPAGT1 n-glycosylation on the hippo pathway in embryonic salivary submandibular glands. (In layman’s terms, this means she was investigating the chemical pathway in the developing salivary gland of the mouth). Jonece describes her entire experience, both academic and social, as tremendous and fun.

At school, Jonece takes a rigorous course load while also participating in the It’s Academic Club, Model UN, Math Club, Chorale, and dance program. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and volunteering. Her volunteering efforts have earned her The Points of Light award, which she received during a ceremony at the White House in 2009, as well as recognition in a national newspaper.

When Jonece enters college next September, she intends to study biological or chemical engineering. She is considering several prestigious institutions, and we can’t wait to find out where she ends up!