9800LawlerAve,Skokie,IL60077

(847)6262000
http://www.nileshs.k12.il.us/north
ayequr1@nths219.org

AyeshaQuraishi
PROFILE
I AM A SENIOR AT NILES NORTH HIGH SCHOOL, AND I AM ENROLLED IN THE STEM INQUIRY AND RESEARCH (SIRS) COURSE HERE UNDER THE
INSTRUCTION OF MS. CAMEL. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESUME IS TO EXTINGUISH MY EXPERIENCE, EDUCATION, LAB SKILLS, AND ACHIEVEMENTS AS A
RESULT OF MY RESEARCH PROJECT THIS YEAR. SIRS THIS YEAR HAS PROVIDED ME A MYRIAD OF OPPORTUNITIES IN THE SCIENCE FIELD, AND HAS GIVEN
ME AN INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE IN THE RESEARCH WORLD THAT I WILL TAKE ONTO TO COLLEGE, LIKE LEARNING HOW TO USE A BIOAMPLIFIER.
EXPERIENCE
THE SIRS CLASS IS A MODEL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR STUDENTS TO CONDUCT ORIGINAL INVESTIGATIONS ON
COMPELLING QUESTIONS OF INTEREST, COLLABORATE WITH OTHER STUDENTS AND ON-CAMPUS OR OFF-CAMPUS PROFESSIONALS SUCH AS EDUCATORS,
RESEARCHERS AND SCHOLARS, AND TO SHARE THEIR INVESTIGATION RESULTS THROUGH PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS, LIKE THE IJAS SCIENCE FAIR. THIS
YEAR, I CONDUCTED RESEARCH ON THE EFFECT LACHRYMATORY AGENTS HAD ON THE SPEED OF A SENSORY NEURONS SYNAPSE, USING A BIO AMPLIFIER
AND MORE THAN A HUNDRED RED WORM SUBJECTS. IN THIS RESEARCH, I HAD TO CONTACT A UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR TO MENTOR ME. DR. CHUNBO
ZHANG ADVISED ME TO CONDUCT A PILOT STUDY TO SEE IF THE PROJECT IS PLAUSIBLE.
AYESHA QURAISHI, NILES NORTH HIGH SCHOOL; SKOKIE, IL 2012-2015
EDUCATION
Niles North High School, Skokie, IL High School Degree, 2015
Biology 2012-13
Honors Chemistry 2013-14
AP Physics 1 2014-15
STEM Inquiry and Research 2014-15
LAB SKILLS
DILUTIONS
I received my Nonivamide chemical in solid form, so I had to perform a dilution. I made the stock solution, dumping the 100
mg solid into 100 mL diluted water. Then I used a pipetter to extract different amounts of the stock solution into separate 10
mL flasks. I filled the remaining volume left in the 10 mL flasks with diluted water, and thats how I created my different
concentrations of Nonivamide
BIO AMPLIFIER TECHNOLOGY
The bio amplifier measured the time of the signals sent through the red worms sensory neuron. It had a white, red, and black
electrode that I had to pin to the worm, all pinned in equal distances to each other. I had to hook the red electrode to the anus
and the black electrode to the clitellum (grounding the apparatus), and I measured that distance, divided it by 2, and stuck
the white electrode in the middle. I hooked up the sound cord from the machine to a laptop, turned on Audacity, clicked
record, and tapped the anus of the red worm to see a signal in wave form in Audacity.
ANESTHETIZING NON-VERTEBRATES
With 10% Ethyl Alcohol solution, I anesthetized the red worms before I hooked them to bio amplifier. I usually had a beaker
full of 90.00 mL with 10 mL 100% Ethyl Alcohol solution.
AUDACITY SOFTWARE
Learning how to adjust the settings so the bio amplifier can pick up the signals sent through the worm. Also, learning how to
zoom into each channel and recording the time.
WORKING WITH WORMS


Feeding each farm everyday, conducting a pilot study so I could know what concentrations werent lethal to the animals. Also,
learning how to kill the worms with 100% Ethyl Alcohol solutions so they wouldnt cause harm to the environment when I
threw them out (I exposed them to hazardous chemicals).
ACHIEVEMENTS
Gold Medal at Illinois Junior Academy of Science Fair
REFERENCE
Christine Camel
Niles North High School
(847)626-2030 ext. 2254

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