By Jamie Strickland
Smithfield’s own Ava Grace Cummings has earned national recognition — and a $175,000 prize — as the second-place winner in the 2025 Regeneron Science Talent Search, one of the most prestigious high school science competitions in the country.
Affiliated with the Washington, D.C. based Society for Science, the contest is known as the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science competition for high school seniors. Since its inception in 1942, each year, 40 finalists from across the country are invited to Washington, D.C., to present their research, participate in rigorous interviews and connect with top scientists and policymakers.
For Cummings, the honor is deeply personal.
“My family is originally from the Lumbee Tribe based in Robeson County and Coharie Tribe based in Sampson County, but I have lived most of my life in Smithfield,” she said.
After attending Neuse Charter School and Smithfield-Selma High School, she spent her junior and senior years at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham.
Her award-winning project tackled STAC3, also known as Native American Myopathy. STAC3 is a rare genetic condition first identified in the Lumbee Tribe that causes poor muscle development and strength. Cummings’ study tested the effects of Tirasemtiv, a modern drug, and Urtica dioica, a traditional indigenous herb, on fruit flies genetically engineered to model the disease. She found that both the herb and the combined treatment showed significant improvements in motility, highlighting a promising path toward treatment.
“I was aware of STAC3 disease and the effects it has specifically within individuals of the Lumbee Tribe, which inspired me to pursue research on this topic due to its relevance to my personal background and heritage,” Cummings said. “Knowing that STAC3 predominantly has effects within indigenous communities, I also wanted to take into account the cultural practices of the population that this disease affects.”
Cummings said her research is the first to investigate a treatment for STAC3. While not a cure, it could significantly improve quality of life for those affected and it emphasizes the value of blending modern medicine with traditional cultural practices.
The week in Washington, she said, was “life-changing.” She met 39 other finalists, some of whom have become her best friends, and even spoke with staff for U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis about access to scientific resources for students.
“When my name was called on stage for the second place award, it was truly an incredible moment,” she said. “It was amazing not only to feel rewarded for a year’s worth of research but also to know that I was bringing awareness to a field that had become so important to me.”
The first place prize in the competition was captured by Matteo Paz, 18, of Pasadena, CA. He was awarded $250,000 for his breakthrough in space science. Paz developed a machine-learning algorithm to sift through 200 billion entries of infrared sky data, ultimately identifying 1.5 million previously undiscovered celestial objects.
Cummings STAC3 research project also went on to win third place in the International Science & Engineering Fair held in Columbus, OH. Next year, she will attend Yale University, where she plans to double major in biomedical engineering and math, continuing her research on rare, population-specific diseases as part of the Hahn Scholar program. The prize money, she said, will go toward her education, with the goal of pursuing an MD-PhD and a career in biomedical sciences and pharmaceutics.
Cummings is the daughter of Jason and Synora Cummings.
