Congratulations to our winners and thank you to all who participated. Happy DNA Day!
2024 Question
Many human diseases have a genetic component. Some diseases result from a change in a single gene or even multiple genes. Yet, many diseases are complex and stem from an interaction between genes and the environment. Environmental factors may include chemicals in the air or water, nutrition, microbes, ultraviolet radiation from the sun and social context. Provide an example of how the interplay of genetics and environment can shape human health.
(Huntingdon Vy, Pennsylvania)
2024 Winners
1st Place: Megan Xie, Grade 12
Teacher: Mrs. Margot Bram
School: Lower Moreland High School
Location: Huntingdon Vy, Pennsylvania
2nd Place: Macey Hunter, Grade 12
Teacher: Ms. Cameron Simpkins
School: Fayetteville High School
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
3rd Place: Justin Lin, Grade 11
Teacher: Ms. Kailin Duan
School: San Marino High School
Location: San Marino, California
Honorable Mentions
| Ashley Andrew Lawerence E. Elkins High School Missouri City, Texas Teacher: Ms. Raquel Ardoin |
Elizabeth Barna College Heights Secondary School Prince George, Canada Mr. Christopher Wadson |
| Kevin Guo Horace Greeley High School Chappaqua New York Teacher: Mr. Paul Bianchi |
Ajin Jo CheongShim International Academy Gapyeong Gun, South Korea Teacher: Ms. Geun Jung Yi |
| Siddharth Kumar Gopal St. Thomas Residential School Thiruvananthapuram, India Teacher: Ms. Siggi Kochuthresia |
Anvita K Trenton, New Jersey |
| Robert Lin Westmount Charter School Calgary, Canada Teacher: Ms. Allison Pinnock |
Omar Reyes The Awty International School Houston, Texas Teacher: Ms. Shirley Chu |
| Zoravar Singh Singapore American School Singapore, Singapore Teacher: Dr. David Knuffke |
Tuan Tran Indian Springs School Indian Springs, Alabama Teacher: Dr. Jeffrey Sides |
| Hongyi Wei Dougherty Valley High School San Ramon, California Teacher: Mr. Andrew Shigo |
Where in the world our submissions come from:
About the Contest
The contest aims to challenge students to examine, question, and reflect on important ideas and issues related to human genetics. Competitive essays are expected to convey substantive, well-reasoned, and evidence-based arguments that demonstrate deep understanding.
Essays are evaluated through three rounds of judging, and every essay is read by a minimum of three judges. Top-scoring essays have typically been scored by a dozen or more judges.
Read the 2024 DNA Day Essay Contest Announcement Press Release.
Questions/Comments: Contact dnaday@ashg.org