Two Potomac Seniors Named to Regeneron Top 300

Seniors Tara Bansal and Aliyah Majeed-Hall have been named Top 300 Scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2026, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science and mathematics competition for high school seniors. 

More than 2,600 students applied this year from 826 high schools across 46 states, Washington, D.C., Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and 16 countries. The 300 scholars are from 203 American and international high schools in 34 states, Washington, D.C. and China.

Both students are part of Potomac’s Science and Engineering Research Center (SERC), a program that provides students with the opportunity to do high-level, independent research projects.

“Aliyah and Tara created original and highly detailed research proposals that required a significant amount of time and determination. Not only did they design and develop novel methodologies but they both share a deep commitment to improving the global challenges that exist today,” shares Dr. Natasha Hamblet, Upper School science teacher and SERC chair. “They truly exemplify Potomac’s core values by showing the courage to pursue a unique project, the humility to listen to the input of others and revise their work, the integrity and respect needed for the research process, and the perseverance to proceed when encountering challenges.”

The list of Regeneron scholars from Potomac includes: 

• Tara Bansal for "A Novel Pneumatic Silicone Sleeve for Transhumeral Prostheses That Autonomously Regulates and Adjusts to Socket–Limb Pressure To Improve Amputee Comfort” 
• Aliyah Majeed-Hall for “TRACE-Stem: A 222Rn-Calibrated Mechanistic Model of Methane (CH4) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Transport in Tree Stems”

Upon receiving the news, Aliyah shared, “I was thrilled and humbled to be part of a long legacy and community of scientists, engineers, and mathematicians striving to make the world a better place. And as a Regeneron Scholar, I feel a deep sense of responsibility too. I’m determined to keep researching in this area and to further develop my mechanistic model (TRACE-Stem) so it can support environmental scientists working to understand and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from forests in our warming world. In fact, I was working on my model just this week.” She went on to offer gratitude to mentors Dr. Kevan Moffett and Dr. Karen Knee and SERC teachers Mr. Cobb, Ms. Petro, and Dr. Hamblett. “My teachers and mentors spent the past two years teaching me how to think deeply and creatively, ensure scientific rigor in my work product, and adjust and pivot in the face of setbacks that arise with any new research. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Tara confessed that she was “excited–and a bit shocked” when she found out she was named a Regeneron STS Scholar saying, “I am deeply grateful to be part of such a determined and inspiring group of students, and it feels incredibly meaningful to see my research recognized and move on to the next level.” 

She was motivated to conduct her research after noticing an abandoned prosthesis on the street. “It struck me that such expensive devices, designed to help amputees reintegrate into society, were being discarded. After learning that socket discomfort caused by pressure and poor fit is one of the primary reasons for prosthetic abandonment, I pursued engineering a self-adjusting silicone sleeve to help alleviate the comfort issues amputees experience from socket pressure.”

As a result of being named Top 300 Scholars, Tara and Aliyah will each receive a $2,000 award. The Potomac School will also receive two $2,000 awards to be used in support of STEM-related activities. On January 21, the Regeneron Science Talent Search will name this year’s top 40 finalists, who will then compete in Washington, DC, during a week-long event in March. We congratulate both students on their accomplishments and wish them continued success!

The full list of scholars can be viewed here.

Projects Summaries

Tara has been developing a low-cost adaptive prosthetic sleeve that improves patent comfort and wearability by automatically adjusting to changes in external pressure or increased growth circumferences, and therefore reduces the likelihood of prosthetic abandonment. Transhumeral rejection is common as amputees suffer from phantom limb pain and discomfort more frequently than distal amputees. Tara always had a clear vision of what she was trying to accomplish and her design underwent multiple iterations before she fabricated a sleeve that successfully responded to patient activity or limb swelling to maintain a consistent predetermined sleeve pressure and comfortable socket-limb interface. Her final silicone model was the result of meticulous research methodology. Tara started with the construction of a 3D-printed silicone mold then proceeded to design the circuit that would inflate and defeat the sleeve. The logic behind Tara's circuit design and hardware assembly showed an attention to detail and critical thinking that amazed me from day one. Her initial testing and conditions used a transhumeral stump model that integrated socket-limb interface pressure simulations controlled by a computer running Arduino Code.  At each stage of the process, Tara carefully analyzed her data and made adjustments. She was able to create a low-cost adaptive prosthetic sleeve that improves patient comfort and has the added benefit of being able to be incorporated into existing prosthetic sockets. 

The focus of Aliyah’s research was to address a gap in understanding regarding trees as sources of atmospheric methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2). Tree stem methane emissions remain uncertain because researchers understand very little about how trees produce, transport and emit gases from their stems (trunks).  Aliyah developed a unique model, TRACE-Stem, that simultaneously accounts for both the physical processes and the relevant in-stem biochemical processes (production, oxidation and respiration) that affects tree stem gas transport and emissions. TRACE-Stem is the first model to simulate 222Rn as a naturally-occurring tracer gas in a tree stem and Aliyah’s innovative design allowed her to use the fact that 222Rn is not affected by production or consumption within the tree to calibrate key physical transport parameters. Aliyah embodies the essence of outstanding scientific research, she identified an area of interest, researched the available information, then sought to provide an answer undaunted by the fact that the task was complex. Once she identified the gap in understanding she showed resolve by contacting the research group that had one published study and asked to join them as an intern.  What is especially impressive about Alyiah’s research approach is that not only does it require a solid understanding of the biochemical processes that occur in a temperate hardwood forest biome but she employed a first order Euler solver to numerically evaluate the governing equations representing complex in-stem biological processes. She exhibits a deep knowledge of computational science and its application to global challenges.  Not one to leave an area uncovered, Aliyah examined the robustness of TRACE-stem, by running a warming scenario. Her results demonstrated that TRACE-stem has immediate potential to inform forest carbon accounting with climate change.