Westhampton Beach High School science research students Brady Schultz and Noor Sohail earned first-place honors in the Biomedical and Health Sciences category at the Long Island Science and Engineering Fair. With the top finish, the duo will next compete in the prestigious Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.

To secure their placement, Schultz and Sohail presented their research on the effects of dates on fruit flies with Alzheimer’s disease. As part of the research, Sohail constructed an electrical shock device to serve as a negative stimulus, testing whether the fruit flies’ memory improved after consuming dates. They expanded their research after obtaining a grant that provided access to Oxford Nanopore technology. Using the technology, Schultz and Sohail dissected the fruit flies to extract gut bacteria and discovered that the flies’ gut health improved by 80% after consuming dates.

When not in the lab, Schultz and Sohail can be found participating in their school’s extracurriculars. Schultz is a semifinalist in the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Program, president of his school’s National Honor Society and an accomplished musician, sailor and tennis player.

Sohail is co-president of her school’s Environmental Club and vice president of the Science Club. Outside of school, she is a member of the Westhampton Junior Ambulance, teaches Sunday school and volunteers at Northwell Health.

The Westhampton Beach School District congratulates both students for their hard work and dedication to science research and wishes them continued success.