Bella Allegri '26 Accepted to GeneLab, GSSRP Summer Programs
From June 2 to August 29, Bella Allegri '26 will be participating in the GeneLab for High Schools (GL4HS) Summer Program during which she will be immersed in an intense online study of biology.
Bella was also selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants to participate in the Group Summer Scholars Research Program (GSSRP) at the School of Integrative Science and Technology at Kean University from July 7 to July 31. She was offered the opportunity to join in the “AI for Good” research stream. The program features lab work, professional skills workshops, instrumentation demonstrations, and a focus on college and career paths.
When asked about the GeneLab opportunity, Bella said, “I know it is going to give me a stronger sense of what working in science looks like long-term. There aren’t many opportunities for high school students to do real data analysis online, especially using spaceflight data from NASA and having a Capstone project. That immediately caught my attention and encouraged me to apply. Since it is online, I can simultaneously participate in other programs which can give me more experiences overall.”
“I want to pursue a career in molecular biology or biotech,” she said, “and this program is going to help me build the kinds of research skills that matter in those fields. I’m excited to learn how to work with real genomic data and understand how space affects biology, and meeting professors to do a Capstone project.”
Regarding what she anticipates as a participant in the GSSRP program, Bella said, “I am hoping to learn how I can use programming and knowledge of biology to be able to support others through ways that people sometimes do not think of immediately. I believe that making systems online and understanding the impact that it can create is not discussed frequently enough.” Bella is excited to bring that issue to the forefront and be part of the discussion.
Dr. Dorothea Kominos, Science Department Chairperson, stated, “I have had the pleasure of working with Bella as she participated in the Robotics team. She is an absolute genius at coding. This year, I am Bella’s AP Biology teacher, and I know her enthusiasm around cell and molecular biology. Bioinformatics is a wonderful intersection between Computer Science and Biology and I’m excited that she has these wonderful opportunities.”
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