TRIP Explore 2026 - Session 1
Rafael AppianiRafael “Rafa” Appiani joined TRIP as a sophomore at Council Rock High School North. Rafa is an avid guitar player and music fan, especially metal. However, they love to be challenged intellectually, which means learning all they can about multiple fields of science. Their experiment viewed how melatonin may counter or impair the effects of constant darkness.
Links: Blog Presentation |
Angela LiAngela Li joined TRIP@FCCC’26 as a junior at Lower Moreland High School. She enjoys drinking jasmine tea, listening to music, and spending time with her friends. Her favorite subjects are anatomy and biology, which have deepened her understanding of the human body’s mechanics and internal functions. Driven by her curiosity in laboratory research, she applied to TRIP to acquire new skills, such as utilizing advanced instruments and performing hands-on assays. For her TRIP project, she investigated how a high-sugar diet impacts the behavior of fruit flies and explored whether fenugreek could counteract those effects.
Links: Blog Presentation |
Angie MaungAngie Maung joined TRIP as a senior at Academy at Palumbo. Born in Malaysia, she moved to the United States and has since developed a love for badminton, running, and violin. Her curiosity about how everyday habits affect the body drew her to research on circadian rhythms, especially after noticing how disrupted sleep patterns can impact daily life. Her project examined the effects of circadian rhythm disruption caused by constant darkness, along with the supplement Rhodiola, on fruit fly motility, fertility, and gut health.
Links: Blog Presentation |
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Lucas PeñaLucas Pena joined TRIP Explore as a rising junior at Abington Senior High School. Lucas is intensely passionate about all things biology, theology, and history related. In his free-time he enjoys reading about his interests, playing with friends, and worldbuilding. His interest in medical research - immunology in particular - led him to join TRIP in 2026. His TRIP project tested the effects that licorice and sugar consumption can have on fly health, this prompted by the hypothesis that licorice could alleviate the negative effects of excess sugar consumption.
Links: Blog Presentation |
Durdona RahmonovaDurdona Rahmonova joined TRIP as a junior at Council Rock South. Durdona loves to experience new things, especially when related to science. In school, her favorite class is history, especially world history. For her TRIP Project, she tested whether Vitamin D3 can counteract the effects of soap on fertility, behavior, and microbiome.
Links: Blog Presentation |
Lucas Vicente-MendozaLucas Vicente-Mendoza joined TRIP@FCCC'26 as a senior at Central Bucks High School South. Lucas runs cross country and track, and spends his free time watching soccer and supporting his favorite team, Argentina. He got into science through his love for astrobiology, and works on STEM science fair projects during the school year. For his TRIP project, he investigated the effect of intestinal inflammation on adult fruit fly behavior, fertility, and microbiome, and whether Milk Thistle could function as an adequate treatment.
Links: Blog Presentation |
Fedorah VilaireFedorah Vilaire joined TRIP as a rising senior at Mastery Charter Lenfest. Fedorah deeply enjoys learning and trying new things, especially STEM topics. She is from Haiti and immigrated to the United States when she was 5 years old. She enjoys crocheting, baking, cooking, and watching war documentaries. For her series of assays at TRIP, she was tasked with testing the impact of Ginkgo Biloba and head trauma on her flies' behavior and development. She deeply enjoyed the microbiome assay, which taught her important research skills like sterility, motor skills, pipetting, and critical thinking.
Links: Blog Presentation |
TRIP Explore 2026 - Session 2
Darwin LiuDarwin Liu joined TRIP as a junior at Abington Senior High School. Darwin loves being on social media, playing volleyball, and has a caffeine addiction. He plays the trumpet and loves listening to music. In the future, he hopes to become a dermatologist. For his TRIP project, he tested the relationship between fenugreek and a high-sugar diet.
Links: Blog Presentation |
Sebastian LucenteSebastian Lucente joined TRIP Explore 2026 as a rising junior at Penncrest High School. Sebastian loves to spend his time learning new languages, reading scientific nonfiction books, and playing classical piano. He also enjoys learning more about the natural world through understanding science, a passion of his that has been greatly expanded through taking the AP Biology class and gaining membership on the Science Olympiad team at his high school. For his TRIP project, he tested if an overactive immune system can exacerbate the negative effects of intestinal inflammation on fruit flies.
Links: Blog Presentation |
Maruf MehediMaruf Mehedi joined TRIP Explore as a senior at School Lane Charter School. Maruf loves learning about psychology, creating art, and making people laugh. He enjoys reading about various studies with his friends in DP Psychology and appreciates note-taking in DP Biology. His excitement for exploration led him to TRIP Explore. For TRIP Explore, Maruf investigated the effects of valerian and constant darkness on circadian rhythms, specifically their impact on fly behavior, fertility, and their microbiome.
Links: Blog Presentation |
Manuel VillegasManuel Villegas joined TRIP@FCCC’26 as a rising junior at Holy Ghost Preparatory School. In school, his favorite classes are mathematics and biology. Outside of academics, he enjoys watching Futbol Club Barcelona, caring for his tortoise, Michaelangelo, and leading his school’s Culinary Club. His interest in biology began when he was young, after visiting Costa Rica and growing curious about the life around him. For his TRIP project, Manuel researched the effects of a high-sugar diet on the fertility, behavior, and gut microbiome of fruit flies, as well as the potential protective effect of holy basil.
Links: Blog Presentation |
Erin ZhangErin Zhang joined TRIP as a junior at Conestoga High School. Erin enjoys drawing in charcoal, reading manhwa, and learning new languages in her spare time. As a competitive pianist, school newspaper editor, and Key Club officer, she is passionate about serving her community through music, journalism, and volunteering. Erin is also involved in SciOly, where her favorite event is Experimental Design. She hopes to pursue a career in research while advocating for gender equality in STEM. For her TRIP project, Erin tested if melatonin could mitigate the detriments of constant darkness on fly behavior and health.
Links: Blog Presentation |
