WORCESTER, Mass. - Diego Suchenski Loustaunau wanted to get more hands-on experience in biochemistry. So, during his sophomore year at Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science, he took a chance and reached out to UMass Chan Medical School.

"Just thought it was a natural kind of next step to kind of continue that interest by reaching out to Dr. Schiffer and the team over here," Diego said.

What You Need To Know

  • Diego Suchenski Loustaunau, a senior at Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science, was chosen as a Regeneron finalist for 2023

  • The competition celebrates and rewards young scientists focused on a wide range of scientific topics

  • Diego's project used computational biochemistry to simulate an improved drug to target a family of proteins directly involved in the DNA changes that cause cancer cells to undergo rapid growth and develop resistance to medications

  • From March 9-15, finalists will participate in a competition, undergoing a rigorous judging process to compete for more than $1.8 million in awards

Reaching out worked. Now a senior, Diego is interning under Dr. Celia Schiffer, the founder and director of UMass Chan Medical School's Institute for Drug Resistance.​ Diego is working on a computer biochemistry project.

"I had really been interested in the modeling aspect through freshman and sophomore year," said Diego. "And then I realized the the lab that had actually solved it was only 15 minutes away from my house."

The project simulates improved drug targeting for a family of proteins involved in DNA changes. Those changes cause cancer cells to grow rapidly as well as develop resistance to medications.

"When DNA mutates, cells might not function properly, so that can make cancers worse," Diego said.

Diego's work at UMass Chan has made him one of 40 students nationwide selected as a Regeneron finalist. The math and science competition is for promising high school seniors, with a top prize of $250,000.

"It's really unpredictable," Diego said. "That would be nice, but I'm super excited to just be top 40."

For Diego, this project and competition are just his start. Following graduation later this year, he's going to Yale University to study molecular biophysics and biochemistry. It's work he believes can make a difference.

"Being able to do research that is so applicable and could potentially lead to medications that help so many people, like it's really impactful," Diego said. "And I think you kind of get an idea of the immediate impact of something."

Diego will fly down to Washington D.C. in early March to take part in the competition's finals.