Congratulations to Vivek Malik who was named a Regeneron Science Talent Search 2025 finalist. Vivek is a student at The Hackley School and is the only Westchester student to make the finals. The title of his research is Novel characterization of Plexin D1’s role in regulating the macrophage immune response.
A description of his research explained: “Targeting these immune cells can lower inflammation and help treat diseases like cancer and hardening of the arteries. Vivek found that blocking Plexin D1, a protein on the surface of macrophages, had anti-inflammatory effects. Macrophages could also more easily travel and destroy invaders. Targeting Plexin D1 may help treat inflammation.”
Vivek is researching new methods of targeting and treating aggressive blood cancers called peripheral T-cell lymphomas. “I have always been interested in how we can leverage our own immune system to fight cancer. Blood cancers are particularly interesting to me because they do not necessarily present themselves in one localized region of the body, like a solid tumor would. After learning about antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), a new immunotherapy that can seek out and kill cells that express specific proteins, I became quite interested in seeing if ADCs could be successful at targeting proteins preferentially expressed on blood cancer (lymphoma) cells. I found that a cell-surface receptor that is expressed on lymphoma cells plays a crucial role in regulating the mechanisms of the cancer, and an ADC targeting that receptor could be effective at killing malignant cells.”
Malik is one of 40 finalists who will be invited to Washington, D.C., in March to compete for $1.8 million in awards.
