Zachary Lakkis is a 16-year-old junior at Fox Chapel High School in Pittsburgh. He is very passionate about science for almost his entire life. He has participated in science fairs since elementary school and has won awards at both state and regional levels (PRSEF and PJAS). He has received the Carnegie Mellon University DNAZone award twice for his work on using DNA to store digital information and using CRISPR-Cas to edit RNA in tumor cells. His interest in biology began in eighth grade, and he has honed that interest by working over the past two summers in a cancer research laboratory led by a tumor immunologist at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center. In addition to science, Zachary is an avid musician. He plays the violin with his school orchestra and with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra.