Johnny Li is a student at Upper Canada College in Canada. He is captain of his school’s robotics team. Under his leadership, the team has achieved success in international competitions. These include the VEX Ontario Provincials and the VEX World Championships. The team earned top rankings and several design and performance awards. Beyond robotics, Johnny has participated in the Canadian Ethics Olympiad. He also won a grant through a leadership course to support a charitable initiative.
At CCIR Academy, Johnny’s research paper, Parkinson’s Disease-linked Protein α-synuclein: Do Small-Molecule Inhibitors of Protein Aggregation Also Prevent Its Accumulation with Lipids?, was accepted at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). His study examines compounds that inhibit α-synuclein aggregation. It asks whether these compounds can also reduce lipid-associated forms of the protein. Researchers increasingly recognise these forms as contributors to Parkinson’s disease pathology.
To investigate this question, Johnny used a live-cell assay to test several small molecules. Among the compounds tested, Fasudil most effectively reduced inclusion formation and toxicity. Meanwhile, the other compounds produced varying effects. These findings offer insight into how different forms of α-synuclein behave. They may also inform future research into potential therapeutic strategies.
The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) is a global organisation dedicated to molecular life sciences. It supports research and education across the field.
Congratulations to Johnny on this achievement!
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