An 18-year-old high school student, the son of a Gambian immigrant in the United States, has achieved a significant academic milestone. His research, conducted alongside two other top students from Rowland Hall High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, has been published in the highly prestigious peer-reviewed journal ‘Cancers.’ This accomplishment marks them as published researchers.
Adam Saidykhan, the son of Gambian immigrant Yankuba Saidykhan, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Saidykhan is pursuing the American dream and celebrating his 18-year-old son’s significant academic achievement.
Adam Saidykhan, Sophie Baker, and Isabelle Bown were among the first students enrolled in the Advanced Research Biology course at Rowland Hall High School. They undertook an impressive yearlong research project, which has now been published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Cancers.
The three brilliant high school students graduated in June. Adam plans to start university in the fall to pursue a STEM course. At 18, he made a name for himself as a published researcher.
Over the 2023–2024 school year, Adam and his colleagues focused on identifying novel, actionable treatment targets for androgen receptor-low triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a lethal cancer subtype. Their research specifically examined the role that centrosome biology may play in cancer’s deadly impact.
Their goal was to enhance the research community’s understanding of the crucial molecular drivers of androgen receptor-low triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and to advance treatment options for this aggressive subtype potentially.
On September 11, the young researchers received a significant notification regarding their work: they were informed that their research would be published in Cancers as a feature paper in the “Cancer Biomarkers” section.
“I always aspire to contribute to humanity, and I am glad I started the steps to make that a reality,” Adama Saidykhan told TAT. His inspiration and motivation are contributing to society through science and technology.
Reacting to his son’s academic excellence, Yankuba Saidykhan told Alkamba Times: “I am just excited for what the future holds for him, considering he’s just graduated from high school and made this achievement in academia. I’m excited for the future. He is taking a gap year and enrolling at the University of Utah to pursue a double major in science or medicine.”
An uncle and friend of Adam’s dad, Alkali M Dibba, who lives in nearby California, also expressed his delight with Adam’s impressive record.
“Adam is destined for greatness. He embodies a positive spirit and openness, rare personality traits of a genius in modern-day society. I’m excited for him and urge him to keep up the momentum.”
