Senior Project Spotlight: Large Language Models offer incredible new ways to analyze data for the therapeutic benefit of patients. Our Senior River W. ‘26 worked with a team at Memorial Sloan Kettering to log 4 million oncology notes into one of the largest clinico-genomic adverse events datasets. River then used the dataset to investigate the biological mechanisms of immunotherapy-induced adverse events to identify genes associated with them. The clinical implications are very promising, and hopefully, with further research, this work will help oncologists determine which patients are at high risk of immunotherapy-induced adverse events. This fall, River will continue to pursue his interests in biomedical computation and philosophy at Stanford University. He is grateful to his Senior Project faculty advisor, Dr. Hamzawsky, and his off-site advisor, Dr. Resnick, for their guidance and support. #SeniorProject #OriginalResearch #HighHonors #BASISIndependentBrooklyn

Senior Project Spotlight: As deductibles, co-pays, and complex structures increasingly shift financial responsibility onto patients, older adults—many of whom rely on fixed incomes and public insurance programs—face heightened vulnerability to financial uncertainty in healthcare. Kanika R. ‘26 spent her Senior Project analyzing how older adults (aged 65+) in NYC perceive out-of-pocket costs, insurance predictability, and financial anxiety, and how these perceptions influence decisions to seek, delay, or modify care. This fall, Kanika will continue to pursue her interest in economics and business at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. She is grateful to her Senior Project faculty advisor, Mr. Sperrazza, and her off-site advisor, BIB parent Dr. Brookes Brown, for their guidance and support. Kanika’s internship for her Senior Project was with a wonderful organization called @jasaseniors where she volunteered through the years as well as NY Health Hospitals. #SeniorProject #OriginalResearch #HighHonors #BASISIndependentBrooklyn

Senior Project Spotlight: Today, we begin featuring outstanding Senior Projects recently presented by our Class of 2026. Alexa G. focused her Senior Project on “Music and the Mind: Music Therapy in Neurodegenerative Treatment,” delving into how something we enjoy in everyday life can play an influential role in the brain and impact the lives of patients with dementia. Alexa had previously interned at Menorah Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing Care in their Music Therapy Department, where she became fascinated by the role music could play in assisting the care of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. This fall, Alexa will continue pursuing her interest in neurobiology at Georgetown University. She is grateful to her faculty advisor, Mr. Rappelfeld, and her internship at an amazing organization called @thelifestoryclub for helping her fully explore her interests during her Senior Project. #SeniorProject #OriginalResearch #HighSchool #Honors #BASISIndependentBrooklyn