With the announcement of the Intel Science Talent Search finalists, Great Neck North's David Khalil and Nelson Moussazadeh became members of an esteemed group of junior scientists (five former winners have gone on to win Nobel Prizes). These two talented young men are among 40 finalists in the nation, 13 in New York State, and four on Long Island. The Intel competition, previously sponsored by Westinghouse, is one of the most prestigious and competitive advanced science research contests in the country. Candidates are judged on individual research reports, scientific originality, and creative thinking.

The two young men, although vying for the same scholarship prize, were able to approach the program with a spirit of cooperative competition. David Keith, science department chairperson, beamed, "being chosen as finalists is a phenomenal accomplishment by these students. They have exhibited proud humility and have been helpful to each other even within the competitive environment of a contest." David and Nelson often shared their findings while having lunch together during the summer months, when they were actively performing their research. They are glad to have each succeeded to this level.

David entered the competition with a medicine and health entry.

For his project, he examined the neural events that are involved when a person is viewing ambiguous figures (line drawings that can be perceived as two distinctly different images). His mentor, Dr. Joy Hirsch of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, leads the fMRI laboratory that performed the "brain-mapping" research. It is David's hope that his work will be useful in helping to better understand the complexities of the human brain. He had this to say about the experience: "It's an honor to be part of Great Neck North High School and I hope that all the research I ever do can always help in some way. I owe a great thanks to everybody who has helped me." With the guidance of Alan Schorn, his research teacher, David will enter other science competitions in the spring.

Biomedical engineering has been an ongoing passion for David. Two summers ago, he helped adapt a more economical $10 accelerometer to measure postural sway (the ability to balance) among elderly patients. Commercial monitors can cost up to $100,000. The year before, he designed and built an alarm to protect sleepwalkers.

As a high school senior, David is president of the debate and forensics team, the Hebrew culture club, and the computer club. He writes for the school's foreign language and political science magazines, and is editor-in-chief of the yearbook. When available, he is a computer consultant. David has an older brother, Danny, a North High graduate and an Intel Semifinalist two years ago. His younger sister, Tiffany, is a freshman at North High. David is considering attending MIT or Harvard to study biomedical engineering.

The success Nelson has achieved has come from his concentration on the emerging field of tissue engineering. In the category of medicine and health, he entered a project on the differentiation of early-stage stem cells, through the introduction of specific chemicals, into contraction heart muscle tissue. His mentor, Dr. Shahin Rafii, of the of Cornell University Medical School Laboratory of Hematology, provided the environment for his study. Nelson's work has implications to provide new approaches in the treatment of heart disease and possibly Parkinsons disease. For Nelson, being chosen as a finalist is "a dream come true!" He credits the research program at North, and Schorn, his research advisor, with providing a supportive and encouraging environment in which to explore various areas of interest. A year ago he found his true inspiration-molecular, cellular, and developmental biology. He has already entered his paper in other science competitions for the spring.

Nelson has shown a past affinity for science and engineering. He has invented useful and fun gadgets such as the "Heat-it-up Lunchbox" and "The Mailbox Notifier." He is actively involved in the law and math clubs, the mock trial team, and runs cross-country for the track team. He participates in Columbia University's Science Honors Program and has earned several awards in science competitions. Nelson's older sister, Jessica, was graduated from North last year. His younger brother, Philip, is a fifth-grader at the J.F. Kennedy School. Nelson hopes to study medicine and research at Yale.

In early March, David and Nelson will join the 38 other Finalists for a week of activities at the Science Talent Institute in Washington, DC. During that week, they will participate in a variety of activities with Nobel laureates, Intel executives and representatives from agencies such as the National Academy of Science. They will undergo final judging, which will be a rigorous round of interviews with top scientists and experts from a variety of different scientific disciplines. At the conclusion of the week, the top ten honorees will be selected. A total of $530,000 in scholarships will be awarded (top prize will be a $100,000 scholarship) at a black-tie award banquet, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the competition, on Monday, March 12. Each of the finalists will receive at least a $5000 scholarship and a new computer.