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Keerthana Rajesh

​

Grade 12, Greenwood High School, Bangalore

Location: Bangalore, India

Email: keerthanarajesh07@gmail.com

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/keerthana-rajesh-33582a334/

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Education

ICSE 10th Board
May 2022

Score of 99% in the Grade 10 ISCE board examinations among 2.4 lakh students. 495/500 

Grade 10 Subject Topper for scoring 100% in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Computer Applications and French

Issued by Greenwood High School · Jun 2023

IB Diploma
11th - 12th
May 2025

Subjects: Math AA HL, Biology HL, Chemistry HL, Physics SL, English SL, Spanish Abinitio SL, TOK

Grade 11 IBDP Greenwood High  Achievement Awards  for highest overall score in Biology HL, Spanish ab initio, Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL, and Theory of Knowledge

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Awards & Honors

International:

  1. Regeneron ISEF 2024 Finalist. Won ‘Humane Science Award’ (special award) from the National Anti-Vivisection Society at Regeneron ISEF 2024. Received $3000.

  2. PSAT NMSQT Commended Scholar (top 99 percentile internationally)

  3. Winner in Art & Music subject area, 8th place in Individual Challenge and 20th place Overall in World Scholar's Cup Dubai Global Round 2022. Qualified in 5th place overall in the Bangalore Regional round.

 

National:

  1. Grand Prize at IRIS National Fair, India 2024. Selected among the top 20 projects to represent Team India at ISEF 2024. Presented my research project ‘Wound Simulator: an in-vitro study of a novel biological growth factor concentrate on Oral Mucositis’ as part of National Science Day celebrations at New Delhi.

  2. ‘Certificate of Outstanding Achievement for Ability and Creativity in In Vitro Biology’ (special prize at IRIS 2024) from the Society for In Vitro Biology, India.

  3. Grade 10 ISCE Board Examinations with a score of 99% overall.

  4. 7th place nationally and 1st place in state at Intelligence Plus InnoVenture 2021 , and entrepreneurship competition for school students in India.

  5. Chess Under-15 girls rank 2 at Delhi Public School National Sports Fest 2021.

 

School:

  1. Grade 11 IBDP Greenwood High Achievement Awards for highest overall score in Biology HL, Spanish ab initio, Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL, and Theory of Knowledge.

  2. Grade 10 Greenwood High Subject Topper for scoring 100% in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, Computer Applications and French

Research Experience

iCREST, International Stem Cell Services Ltd,
HCG Cancer Hospital
April 2022 - Present

Molecular and Cellular Lab Intern   iCREST, International Stem Cell Services Ltd. 
6 weeks,
April 2022 - May 2022 (Summer of Grade 9)​

  • Learned advanced concepts and experimentation in microbiology, protein and biochemistry, gene expression, immunology and bioinformatics.

  • Developed skills like operating in Laminar Air Flow, using a PCR machine, microscope, SDS PAGE and Agarose gel electrophoresis devices.

  • Authored a 40 page research report on my experiments to develop scientific writing skills.

  • Attended and participated in journal clubs discussing industry and healthcare applications of experiments and emerging technologies like CRISPR and AlphaFold

Chronic Wound  Researcher  , 
iCREST, International Stem Cell Services Ltd.
Aug 2022 - Sep 2023 (Grade 10 & 11)

  • Investigated the efficacy of a growth factor concentrate, PLAY® in treating Oral Mucositis, a side-effect of cancer treatments through gene expression of pro and anti-inflammatory factors like COX-2, MMP-1 and TIMP-1

  • Modeled a chronic wound in-vitro using MCF-7, breast cancer cells treated with chemotherapeutic drugs like 5-fluorouracil.

  • Skills gained- cell culture techniques (cryopreservation, thawing, trypsinization, seeding) and gene expression experiments (RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis, PCR, agarose gel electrophoresis).

  • Presented my research findings in front of a panel of  medical researchers, Ph.D scientists and my high school peers  at the iCREST Annual Symposium 2023.
     

Surgical Head and Neck Cancer shadowing Internship | HCG Cancer Hospital
August 2023 (Summer of Grade 10)

  • Shadowed doctors at the Head and Neck Cancer Surgical department

  • Scrubbed into the operating room and observed procedures such as vocal lesion removals, removal of metastasized oral tumor and skin grafts.

  • Observed doctor-patient connections and interacted with oral mucositis patients, which helped me understand the detrimental effects of the condition on their quality of life.

  • Learned and began to value essential qualities for a doctor such as empathy, decisiveness, creativity and leadership.

Chronic Wound  Researcher  , 

iCREST, International Stem Cell Services Ltd.

Sept 2023 - Aug 2024 (Grade 11 & 12)

  • Expanded my previous research using PLAY®, a growth factor concentrate to treat Oral Mucositis.

  • Corroborated the results by replicating experiments on another cancer cell line (MDA-MB).

  • Additionally studied the cytokine expression of IL-6 and IL-8 and performed a scratch assay on Human Fibroblast cells to determine cell proliferation and migration.

  • Skills[2]  gained- Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay, Scratch Assay

  • Presented my research findings before a panel of Ph.D scientists and medical researchers[3] , and my high school peers at the iCREST Annual Symposium 2024.

  • Authored  and submitted a research paper under peer review in the Journal of Emerging Investigators (JEI).

  • Research project qualified[4]  for finals and won Grand and Special awards at the IRIS National Fair 2024 and Regeneron ISEF 2024 (See Awards & Honors Section)

Machine Learning Research Scholar, 

iCREST, International Stem Cell Services Ltd. June 2024 - Present (Grade 12)

  • Using an in-house psychological stress index to correlate patient stress levels with cortisol and inflammatory marker expressions and build an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model to predict the incidence of chronic inflammation

  • Working with a team of medicine, bioinformatics and psychology college students, Wound healing PhD student and Research Director of the iCREST lab

Leadership Experience

Greenwood High International
April 2022 - Present

Cultural Secretary |  Greenwood High International School

Jan 2024 - Present (Grade 11 & 12)

  • Core council position within student government

  • Organized and realized  cultural events, fests and inter-house competitions for middle and high school (1000 students)

  • Organized poetry competitions, Labor Day events, Teacher’s day celebration, summer and winter fundraisers , and online cultural contests for art, music, and writing.

IGNITE Head  | Greenwood High International School

April 2024 - Present

  • IGNITE is an annual inter-school sports and cultural fest that has over 4000 attendees

  • Co-head for IGNITE 2024, overseeing 17 departments, including cultural, marketing, sponsorships, logistics, etc.

  • Liaised between teachers, school management, external vendors and organizations, and student volunteers.

Language Acquisition Day Organizer  |  Greenwood High International School

October 2023

  • Choreographed and directed 3 dances for over 30 Spanish students

  • Researched and integrated traditional dance forms like Flamenco, Samba, and Latin hip-hop to demonstrate cultural appreciation

  • Designed game stalls rooms and informational posters

Fund Raising  |  Greenwood High International School

September 2024

Organized fund raising. Raised Rs 2,50,000​ from winter and summer carnivals. Proceeds went to an  underfunded local school in Sept 2024

Community Service

Co-founder | Sitara Mural Project  

Sep 2023- Present

  • Co-founder of a mural project committed to improving learning spaces in underfunded schools through art.

  • Interacting with young students to foster creativity and passion for art.

  • Partnered with Vibhinna India Foundation to design and paint murals at 2 government schools

  • Recruited and oversaw 17 volunteers for fundraisers including a bake sale and digital portrait campaign for materials

  • Exceeded our goal by raising around 25,000 INR

  • Pitched to and partnered with a well-known paint company, Nippon Paints to fund 3 upcoming projects

Stray Dog Welfare Advocate | PLH Animal Welfare Association

Aug 2023 - Present

  • Responsible for feeding, training and socializing 5 stray dogs in my community

  • Assist in funding and aiding veterinarian volunteers with bimonthly medication, food and an adoption drive[1]  for 6 puppies

  • Learning about animal behavior and needs, legal rights and welfare systems.

  • Working towards peaceful co-existence of residents and stray animals by combatting misconceptions and stereotypes of dog behavior.

Volunteer Writer and Content Creator |  National Anti-Vivisection Society, USA

Jun 2024 - Present

  • National Anti-Vivisection Society is an international organization aimed toward promoting ethical and humane research, and preventing animal exploitation in research.

  • Crafting articles and videos on my experiences in in-vitro research and the laws preventing dissections at educational institutions in India which are published on their social media, website and magazine

Social Issue Writer | Project Vita

Dec 2023 - Present

  • Project Vita is a student-led organization to make social issue news accessible to the youth.

  • Write articles and blurbs mainly on public health challenges like Malaria epidemic in Africa and fatal heat waves in India

  • Additionally write about emerging technology such as the impact of generative AI on creative industries.

  • Learn about journalism and analytic writing by examining, interpreting and summarizing information from news sources while considering the reliability and factuality of information from varying perspectives.

Creative Persuits

Bharatanatyam (Indian Classical Dance)

2013 - Present

  • Completed 11 years of formal training under Smt Rajalakshmi Suresh.

  • Awarded first class in the Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) Junior Bharatanatyam exam

  • Completed KSEEB Senior Bharatanatyam Exam in September 2024

  • Preparing for Arangetram and taking the KSEEB Pre Vidwat Bharatanatyam Exam in 2024

  • Performed in my residential community, temples, and religious and festival gatherings around Bangalore

  • Choreographed and performed classical and fusion pieces for school  inter-house competitions, graduation ceremonies, opening ceremonies and annual showcases

Music

2013 - Present

  • Trained in Carnatic music for 11 years, Rock and pop and Western classical[1]  forms

  • Won awards  in my Carnatic music institute

  • Performed invocation songs for school celebrations, MUN, annual showcases and Labor Day, and at temples for an audience of 100+. 

  • Certified in Carnatic as it is a component in the State Bharatanatyam exams

  • Completed Trinity College London exams in Western Classical, and Rock and Pop​

Fine Arts
2019 - Present

  • Skilled in portrait artistry, landscapes, nature study, anatomy and digital art

  • Proficient in media like charcoal, watercolors, colored pencils, soft pastels, brush pens, and Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Canva for graphic design

  • Secured distinctions (highest score) in Bharatiya Kala Kendra Examinations in Fine Arts. Cleared 3 levels for adults and minors. Preparing for level equivalent first year of Bachelors in Fine Arts degree.

  • Featured portraits  in fundraiser for mural projects and in galleries in my community

  • Submitted acrylic portraits in Chitrakala National Art Competition

  • Completed a graphic design internship at Unifying Destinies, an online comic [3] strip magazine where I learnt to write and edit scripts, and illustrate a comic from scratch

  • Used graphic design skills  using Photoshop and Canva as Under Secretary General of Design, creating notebook, committee logos, etc. for MUN

  • Responsible for decorations and posters for school fundraising events. Created photo booth from scratch which generated INR 3000 in revenue

Writing Journalism

2017 - Present

  • Compose poems, short stories, fiction, non-fiction,  journalism and scientific writing pieces in English

  • Additionally write creative essays in French and Spanish

  • Content creator and writer for organizations like National Anti-Vivisection Society and Project Vita

  • Published poems,  short stories and essays in school magazine for 9 years which goes out to 3000 students annually

  • Published 2 poems in an anthology Memories To Cherish: Volume 2 which is available on online retail sites

  • Member of school’s Junior Journalists Club, covered school events and edited articles for bimonthly newsletter read by the entire school and their parents

  • Completed the Unbound: Teen Creative Writing course by Gotham Writers. Created a portfolio of 6 pieces on fiction and non-fiction

  • Currently analyzing classic literature for my 4000 word IB Extended Essay in English

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