OPRF Senior Wins National Gold Medal for Biology Research at NAACP ACT-SO Competition

Oak Park and River Forest High School senior Keaton Roberts earned a Gold Medal (1st Place) in the Biology/Microbiology category at the 49th Annual NAACP ACT-SO National Competition, held earlier this month at McCormick Place in Chicago.

The NAACP's Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) is a yearlong achievement program that recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of high school students from across the country in STEM, humanities, business, and the arts.

Roberts received the national honor for a research project completed in OPRF Science Division Head Matt Kirkpatrick's AP Research course, with additional mentoring through the Proviso West Suburban Branch ACT-SO program.

His research explored the effects of a synbiotic, a combination of beneficial gut bacteria (probiotics) and the nutrients that support them (prebiotics), on fat metabolism using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. Through laboratory analysis using Oil Red O and Nile Red staining techniques, Roberts examined how the synbiotic influenced fat accumulation. His findings demonstrated the potential of synbiotics as a future therapeutic approach to obesity while also identifying important methodological considerations for future research.

"What inspired me to research this topic was the increasing prevalence of obesity and the search for alternative solutions to address this growing health issue," Roberts said. "I wanted to explore therapeutic interventions that could provide similar benefits to current medications while reducing their cost and potential side effects. Since probiotics and prebiotics have also been gaining attention, I wanted my research to have a strong real-world connection, which led me to investigate synbiotics."

Roberts' work exemplifies the depth of inquiry encouraged through OPRF's AP Research program, where students design and conduct original research projects on topics of personal interest under the guidance of faculty mentors.

Oak Park and River Forest High School congratulates Keaton on this outstanding national achievement and celebrates his commitment to advancing scientific knowledge.