Friday, Mar. 28, 2008
Student's research will help Haitians
Kristin Babcock
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ReprintThanks to research completed by William Chang, an Olathe North High School senior, bed nets will get to people in Haiti who need protection from malaria-infected mosquitoes.
"Hopefully it will inspire future studies to help with the problem of malaria in Haiti," Chang said.
Chang will present his research next week in the Young Epidemiology Scholars Competition. It's a chance to present the information to nationally recognized epidemiologists. He was one out of 550 high school entrants and will be one of 60 to compete for the grand prize: a $50,000 scholarship.
"That's not my primary focus," Chang said. "My focus is on the Hatians, who are the main reason this study has been conducted."
Chang was presented a research problem by his instructor Steve Obenhaus. A sponsorship from Episcopal Relief and Development will provide 5,000 nets to people in Haiti. They needed a way to prioritize who would get nets first.
Last year Chang decided to conduct research to help solve the problem. He predicted that those who live near rice-growing regions in Haiti would be in more need of mosquito protection. Many times epidemiological study tests based on gender or age. Chang chose to look at geography. He analyzed data of malaria outbreaks provided by a clinic in Haiti.
Obenhaus, Chang's instructor said the type of research Chang developed is unique.
"It adds another layer to the criteria of who gets a bed net; it's another consideration factor," Obenhaus said.
The trend Chang found was that areas closer to rice-growing regions tended to have more cases of malaria.
"I would have been more surprised if there wasn't that trend," Chang said.
Chang said his finding will be used to deliver the nets this summer.
Chang is now preparing to present his findings at the YES competition in Washington, D.C. He said he is working with a speech coach in the high school to help him compete with 59 other finalists.
"The hard part is taking the written part (of my project) and presenting it in an oral presentation," Chang said.
Obenhaus said the opportunity to present will give Chang a chance to help more people in Haiti or in other malaria-stricken regions to obtain efficient help.
"If this was only about the money, he wouldn't have spent time on it," Obenhaus said. "He has a real heart for wanting to help people's lives."
Chang is the first Olathe North student to qualify as a finalist in the YES competition.