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Advanced Research Program

Advanced Science Program for Independent Research and Engineering (ASPIRE)

ASPIRE is King School’s elite two-year science research program designed to offer hands-on, high-level experiences to King School’s most promising, top-achieving upper school students to better prepare them for a career in research prior to college. 

Students in this program participate in on and off-campus research opportunities where they receive mentoring, training, and guidance while focusing on their research.

Internships and Advanced STEM

The ASPIRE program consists of two main components: 1) an internship at a renowned laboratory of the student’s choosing to get hands-on experience in the field of modern scientific research, and 2) enrollment in the Advanced STEM Research course, where students learn how to appropriately communicate their research in both written and oral formats such that students are competitive at local, state, regional, national, and international science fairs and research competitions. With this training, students are also capable of publishing their work in prestigious research journals.

Students intern at their lab placements for the remaining two summers of their time at King for this two-year program. Current and prospective interested students should contact Dr. Victoria Schulman, vschulman@kingschoolct.org, for more information. 

Established in 2018 by Margharet, Frank, Bea '15 and William '17 Nash, the Advanced Mathematics and Science Study Program endowed fund supports select students with demonstrated ability and interest in achieving true excellence within science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics in global competition preparation, and/or laboratory research experiences.

If you are interested in supporting this opportunity for students, please contact the development office to discuss how your gift can help.

Program Timeline

King students are eligible to apply for the ASPIRE program, which spans 2.5 years, in the fall of their sophomore year.

2024-25 School Year Aspire Projects

Parker Hayashi ’25

  • LungSCOPE: A multimodal machine learning-based framework for overall survival prediction in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

  • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Quaid Morris Lab (New York, NY)

Zach Louizos ’25

  • Production of efficient solar fuels using noncovalent pi-stacked organic frameworks.

  • Yale University, Shu Hu Lab (New Haven, CT)

Maddie Scanlon ’25

  • Determining COVID-19 vaccine outcomes to dispel public fears of general vaccine use and improve overall public health and safety

  • Athena Fellowship (Remote)

Dillon Maltese ’26

  • Creation of a robotic arm to execute various tasks in the operating room to assist surgeons on delicate procedures.

  • Weill Cornell Medical College, Jeffrey Milsom Lab (New York, NY)

Bruno Reinhoefer Ribeiro ’26

  • Adsorption and removal of chemical pollutants using DNA-wrapped carbon nanotubes.

  • New York University, James Canary/Yoel Ohayon Lab (New York, NY)

Vito Scutari ’26

  • Comprehensive assessment and rehabilitation of executive dysfunction from traumatic brain injuries using video game-based therapies.

  • Sacred Heart University, Jordan Tewel Lab (Fairfield, CT)

Lucia Vivanco ’26

  • Understanding the effect of nutrient additives on the growth and performance of Saccharina latissima and Gracilaria mammillaris to repopulate kelp forests and bolster diminishing marine species populations.

  • University of Chicago and the Marine Biological Laboratory, Loretta Roberson Lab (Wood Hole, MA)

Leon Wang ’26

  • Utilizing clinically developed idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis drugs to develop novel treatments for TGFβ-mediated perivascular fibrosis-driven cerebral amyloid angiopathy and Alzheimer’s disease pathology.

  • Mount Sinai Research Hospital, Joel Blanchard Lab (New York, NY)

Highlights of ASPIRE

During each academic year, students are required to submit the current state of their research projects to a variety of competitions and conferences as part of the student’s grade in the Advanced STEM Research course. The purpose of participating in high school research competitions and professional research conferences is to provide opportunities for the students to hone their presentation and communication skills, network with professionals who may open more doors of opportunity for the students, and provide an avenue through which students can receive external validation for their work in the form of recognition, prizes, accolades, and scholarships. Since 2020, King students have competed successfully in every state and regional competition they were qualified to enter. This is the ultimate goal of the course and the research program as a whole.

As part of the ASPIRE program, working with a real laboratory and helping conduct original research while I am still in high school is beyond my wildest dreams. The future of DNA as a nanomaterial is as extensive as the combinations it can produce, and the opportunity to work with it is now steering my thoughts towards a career in molecular biology.

Billy Bernfeld '22

Meet the Director of Science Research

Dr. Victoria Schulman leans on her vast experience in high-level research to coach and mentor students to help them reach their full potential.

Dr. Schulman earned her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from Weill Cornell Medical College and completed her Postdoctoral research training at Yale University School of Medicine. She has 15+ years of research experience, having worked at many prestigious institutions, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH; Bethesda, MD), the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (Washington, DC), Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY), Weill Cornell Medical College (New York, NY), and Yale University (New Haven, CT). As a researcher, she was well respected in her field. Having published eight research papers, she was an invited speaker at three national/international research conferences and two national symposiums. She also earned numerous accolades for her research, including the William E. Kirwan Junior Investigator Research Award, the Vincent du Vigneaud Award of Excellence, the Golden Key International Scholar Grant, an NIH Research Grant, and she was even the recipient of the Distinguished Student Award for her graduating class at Weill Cornell Medical College and gave the keynote address at graduation. 

After changing careers in 2016 to teaching, Dr. Schulman has brought her expertise to the students at King School, where she mentors young, budding scientists and engineers as they pursue their research interests and present their findings and developments at local, state, regional, national, and international science fairs and research competitions. For her mentorship successes, she has been awarded the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium Regional Teacher Award for Excellence in Research Education, the Education 2.0 (Education of the Future) Outstanding Leadership in STEM Education Award, and been named a Distinguished Modern Classroom Educator and Expert Mentor as well as a Regeneron National Teacher of Merit.

Victoria Schulman

Science Faculty, Director of Science Research
Work: (203) 322 3496, Ext. 3410

Alumni: Sammy Hillenmeyer '21

While I am studying topics in college that are drastically different from the research I did in high school, the skills learned from the ASPIRE experience are still very valuable to my work. Problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration are necessities in the field, no matter what major you end up entering. I have designed and built (with my class) a sample 100-foot bridge in an effort to learn about the forces in a suspension bridge and how to most efficiently put it together. It was a very cool and hands-on project, similar to my research in the lab. I declared civil engineering as my major.

Portia Cummings '19

 I am a biology major in my final year at Columbia University and applying to medical school this year. Currently, I am conducting research in the Kim lab which investigates therapies to halt blood vessel growth in cancers, a process known as tumor driven angiogenesis. We target factors that destabilize tumor blood vessels and make it more difficult for immune cells to infiltrate and eradicate cancer cells. Through this research, we hope to elucidate the mechanisms underlying tumor driven angiogenesis and increase the efficacy of anti-angiogenic therapies. The ASMR/ASPIRE program introduced me to the field of cancer biology and aided in my early development of many fundamental laboratory skills. This exposure to basic and translational research had a huge impact on my ability to read and present scientific papers as well as comprehending how a research lab operates. It has been essential in determining my future career objectives, and I am very grateful to have had access to this opportunity while at King.”

Alumni: Harry Amadeo '20

Getting a start in ASPIRE and now working in a propulsion lab solidified my passion for the aerospace industry and has made me more excited than ever to start a career in this field. Currently, I am doing undergraduate research at Purdue's Zucrow Propulsion Laboratories. I am working under a DARPA-funded program, in which we are training artificial intelligence to predict rocket propellant characteristics. Instead of running a multitude of tests on one propellant to determine its attributes, an AI could provide a solid baseline for future use. This will allow for time and money to be saved when researching and developing new propellants.

Research in Action

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STEM Colloquium Celebrates Distinctions
STEM Colloquium Celebrates Distinctions

In a season of milestones, this week, the eighth STEM Colloquium highlighted the achievements of six senior science students who presented Capstone Projects reflecting years of research that earned them STEM Distinctions. Nick Butler, Grant Dietz, Spencer Neckritz, Layla Shah, Ryan Wempen, and Antonia Kolb shared the research they conducted at MIT, Yale University, and Mt. Sinai Research Hospital, among others. The students worked independently alongside the top researchers in their chosen fields of study to earn distinctions recognizing their passion, determination, perseverance, and achievement.

Read More about STEM Colloquium Celebrates Distinctions
Seniors Present Capstone Portfolios at Art Colloquiums
Seniors Present Capstone Portfolios at Art Colloquiums

At this year's Art Colloquiums, seniors presented their culminating OPEN capstone portfolios after years of artistic exploration. The presentations at the Performing Arts Center showcased the students' personal growth and creative experimentation throughout their time at King. Themes of personal evolution, societal reflection, and artistic exploration were evident throughout the presentations, highlighting the diverse talents and perspectives of the graduating class.

Read More about Seniors Present Capstone Portfolios at Art Colloquiums
King’s ASPIRE Students Shine
King’s ASPIRE Students Shine

King School’s Advanced Science Program for Independent Research and Engineering (ASPIRE) students are on a winning streak, having earned accolades at the Connecticut STEM Fair and recognition at the Connecticut Junior Science & Humanities Symposium (CT-JSHS). Their success in these competitions bolsters the depth and breadth of the school’s success in fostering intellectual growth through curiosity and research.

Read More about King’s ASPIRE Students Shine
Ben Persily ’23 Awarded Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity
Ben Persily ’23 Awarded Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity

Congratulations to Ben Persily ’23, who was recently awarded the Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the region’s largest grantmaker and charitable endowment. The award recognizes Persily's work through King's ASPIRE program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, which lead to breakthroughs in correcting the genetic mutation that causes cystic fibrosis through stem cells.

Read More about Ben Persily ’23 Awarded Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity
Science Research Night Highlights the Power of Inquiry-Based Learning in the Upper School
Science Research Night Highlights the Power of Inquiry-Based Learning in the Upper School

King students, parents, faculty, staff, and families interested in King School’s approach to science packed the Performing Arts Center on Thursday, November 16, for King’s second annual Science Research Night. The evening event was a testament to King’s commitment to inquiry-based learning and showcased the high level of scientific research students engage in each year.

Read More about Science Research Night Highlights the Power of Inquiry-Based Learning in the Upper School