Keven Stonewall, 19, is passionate about creating a vaccine that will cure colon cancer. The teenager from Chicago’s South Side interned at Rush University while he was still in high school, and the results of his experiments have earned him numerous awards.
Keven Stonewall talks about his cancer vaccine research at Intel’s International Science and Engineer Fair in 2013.
“Now a lot of my friends are that much more motivated to do better,” Stonewall said. “I can make a difference in someone’s life without even knowing it.”
For his experiment, Stonewall injected a special high concentration of cancer-treating drug mitoxantrone into younger and older mice. He then injected the mice with aggressive colon cancer cells. After three days, Stonewall noticed that his experimental vaccine was 100% effective on young mice — their tumors were gone and they showed immunity to colon cancer. But the older mice were still afflicted by the cancer cells.
His lab director at Rush University, Carl Ruby, said that Stonewall’s experiment helped scientists realize that they needed a special vaccine for older subjects.
The teen "should be heralded for helping to develop more effective colon cancer treatments that will impact the elderly, the population that is most susceptible to colon cancer.” Ruby said.
“He has all the tools. He will go far,” Ruby added.
Stonewall has won numerous awards for his research. He was a finalist for the Intel International Science and Engineer Fair in 2013.
He’s now a rising sophomore at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, working on a vaccine that he says he hopes could one day be tested on humans.
But the young man won’t forget his roots. He credits his parents for motivating him to succeed in his academics. His father and mother are both teachers in Chicago’s public schools. When he first showed interest in science back in the fifth grade, he remembers getting four microscopes for Christmas.
He’s hoping to eventually create a vaccine that will cure colon cancer once and for all.
“If you don’t plan to succeed, you’re planning to fail,” Stonewall said.
Meet the Chicago teen who may cure colon cancer* - NY Daily News
Keven Stonewall talks about his cancer vaccine research at Intel’s International Science and Engineer Fair in 2013.
“Now a lot of my friends are that much more motivated to do better,” Stonewall said. “I can make a difference in someone’s life without even knowing it.”
For his experiment, Stonewall injected a special high concentration of cancer-treating drug mitoxantrone into younger and older mice. He then injected the mice with aggressive colon cancer cells. After three days, Stonewall noticed that his experimental vaccine was 100% effective on young mice — their tumors were gone and they showed immunity to colon cancer. But the older mice were still afflicted by the cancer cells.
His lab director at Rush University, Carl Ruby, said that Stonewall’s experiment helped scientists realize that they needed a special vaccine for older subjects.
The teen "should be heralded for helping to develop more effective colon cancer treatments that will impact the elderly, the population that is most susceptible to colon cancer.” Ruby said.
“He has all the tools. He will go far,” Ruby added.
Stonewall has won numerous awards for his research. He was a finalist for the Intel International Science and Engineer Fair in 2013.
He’s now a rising sophomore at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, working on a vaccine that he says he hopes could one day be tested on humans.
But the young man won’t forget his roots. He credits his parents for motivating him to succeed in his academics. His father and mother are both teachers in Chicago’s public schools. When he first showed interest in science back in the fifth grade, he remembers getting four microscopes for Christmas.
He’s hoping to eventually create a vaccine that will cure colon cancer once and for all.
“If you don’t plan to succeed, you’re planning to fail,” Stonewall said.
Meet the Chicago teen who may cure colon cancer* - NY Daily News