A research partnership with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa has propelled ʻIolani School senior Deborah Park to a major win on the global stage. Park earned third place in the Plant Sciences category at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio, earlier this spring after a year–long gene–editing project to fight coral bleaching.
With mentorship from Zhiyan “Rock” Du, an associate professor in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience (CTAHR), and UH graduate student Pansa Cecchini, Park’s success is a testament to pathways created by partnerships between UH and local high schools. For future students interested in research, Park advises them “to grasp every opportunity you come across. It’s intimidating to step into a world you know absolutely nothing about, but be proud to be someone willing to explore this new world.”
“Ask all the questions you have, actively participate in those lab–sessions, take in every piece of knowledge thrown at you,” said Park.
Combat coral bleaching
Park began by working with Cecchini on a project developing a strain of algae that can thrive in higher temperatures to help combat coral bleaching—a major issue in Hawaiʻi and globally that occurs when algae living in coral reefs die off as ocean temperatures rise.
Park mutated the algal cells by delivering electric pulses that opened pores in their cell membranes to insert promoter sequences. Her project advanced through the school and state science fairs before reaching the international competition.
Park’s success in the science fair sparked her interest in the entire field of synthetic biology, and she attended a CRISPR gene editing workshop at CTAHR over summer 2025 to continue her research and expand her skills. The workshop was a positive experience for Park, who had no experience with CRISPR (a family of DNA sequences) and its mechanisms beforehand.
“As you are taking on these opportunities, don’t place a limit on your own abilities and the impact you can make!” she said.
