• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
    • Subscribe to Inside Press Magazines
    • Issue Archives
    • Site Map
  • Cover Stories
    • Chappaqua Cover Stories
    • Armonk Cover Stories
  • Happenings
    • Westchester
  • Inside My New Castle
  • Just Between Us
    • Chappaqua Just Between Us
    • Armonk Just Between Us
    • From the Editor
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Health & Fitness
  • Single & Smart
  • Et Cetera
    • Worth a Thousand Words

The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

  • New Castle News
    • New Castle Releases
  • North Castle News
    • North Castle Releases
  • Subscribe/Donate
  • Gotta Have Arts
    • Book Excerpts
  • Lifestyles with our Sponsors
    • Sponsor News!
    • Words & Wisdoms From Our Sponsors
  • Advertise
    • Answers to Your Questions, or Contact Us!
    • Subscribe to Inside Press Magazines
    • Online Advertising

young scientist

Byram Hills High School Senior Wins Prestigious Rising Scientist Award

December 2, 2018 by The Inside Press

on the Use of Avatars for Helping Teens with Autism

Byram Hills High School senior Ellen Amico was honored by the Child Mind Institute and the City University of New York with a 2018 Rising Scientist Award.

Ellen was one of five high school students in the New York metro area to win the award, which is presented to students who “demonstrated extraordinary promise in research in the fields of child and adolescent mental health or pediatric neuroscience.”

Byram Hills High School senior Ellen Amico was one of five New York-area students to win a Rising Scientist Award.

“Each recipient of the Rising Scientist Award shows drive, commitment and vision for the future of mental health and neuroscience,” said Dr. Harold Koplewicz, president of the institute. “At such a young age, these impressive students already have the motivation and the promise to make strides towards changing the way we look at and treat mental health disorders.”

Ellen received the award and a $2,000 scholarship at the On the Shoulders of Giants Scientific Symposium this past October, the institute’s annual celebration of scientific achievement in child and adolescent psychiatry, psychology and developmental neuroscience.

Through the Byram Hills Dr. Robert Pavlica Authentic Science Research Program, Ellen conducted research aimed at improving the ability of people with autism spectrum disorder to recognize emotions. She tested whether computerized avatars are an effective teaching tool in emotion recognition.

“It felt good to be recognized for my work,” Ellen said. “Working with people with autism was a great experience, and I loved it.”

As part of her research, Ellen worked with a mentor at Vanderbilt University, studying teenagers with and without autism. The subjects viewed videos of human faces and computerized avatars.

“Avatars are used a lot in research and treatment for people with autism spectrum disorder, but no one so far has tested to see if avatars are similar enough to humans,” she said.

The research found that “they are similar to humans and they’re a useful tool in cosimulating real-world interactions for people with autism spectrum disorder,” she said. “A real-world interaction can be a source of anxiety, but replacing it on the computer in a virtual way, it’s less anxiety-inducing, and they can practice.”

“Hopefully other researchers can use my study to back up or support their use of avatars in treatments they may create for people with autism spectrum disorder,” she said.

In addition to recognizing the winners for their scientific contributions, the award also honors students for their leadership and extracurricular involvement. The award is given by the institute and the Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Filed Under: Happenings Tagged With: award, Byram, Byram Hills High School, Ellen Amico, Science, young scientist

Primary Sidebar

Support The Inside Press

Visit Our Sponsors

Northern Westchester Hospital
William Raveis – Chappaqua
William Raveis – Armonk
Future Stars Summer Camps
Houlihan Lawrence – Armonk
Houlihan Lawrence – Chappaqua
Compass Real Estate: Chappaqua
Compass: Miller-Goldenberg Team
World Cup Gymnastics
Douglas Elliman Chappaqua
Douglas Elliman Armonk
Eye Designs of Armonk
Generac
Leaf Filter
Kitchen Magic
Play Nice Together
Mount Kisco Child Care Center
Armonk Tennis Club
Compass: Natalia Wixom
Compass: Aurora Banaszek
Amy Singer – Houlihan Lawrence
Houlihan: Alicja Bohmrich
Le Jardin du Roi
Korth & Shannahan

Follow our Social Media

The Inside Press

Instagram

Our Latest Issues

For a full reading of our current edition, or to obtain a copy or subscription, please contact us.

Inside Chappaqua Inside Armonk

Join Our Mailing List


Search Inside Press

Links

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe

Footer

Recent Posts

  • New Board Members Ziporah Janowski and Debby Ziering Join the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center
  • ENOUGH & Town of New Castle Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration – Thursday, April 15th, 2021
  • New Castle Reflecting On Environmental Justice as Part of Earth Month
  • For the Best Summer Ever, Sign Your Child Up for Dance Camp at Logrea Dance Academy!
  • Remembering Lawrence Otis Graham
  • A Conversation with Congressman Mondaire Jones

Categories

Archives

Subscribe

Did you know you can subscribe anytime for the print editions of either Inside Chappaqua, Inside Armonk–or both?

Voluntary subscriptions are most welcome, if you've moved outside the area, or a subscription is a great present idea for an elderly parent, for a neighbor who is moving or for your graduating high school student or any college student who may enjoy keeping up with hometown stories.

Subscribe Today

Copyright © 2021 The Inside Press, Inc. · Log in