August 2008: The winners visit the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland to receive their awards from NIH Director Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni and NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow.

First Place - $2500

Kapil Vishveshwar Ramachandran, is a freshman at Duke University. He submitted his winning project, The Novel Role of the GluClα; Ion Channel and Diazepam Binding Genes in Alcohol Addiction, while he was a senior at Westwood High School in Austin, Texas. He was only 16 years old! The young scientist determined that when a specific protein (Diazepam binding inhibitor) is deleted in fruit flies, the flies may lose their tolerance to alcohol. Although the protein had been previously identified, these findings are a strong indication that it may play a role in addiction.

Second Place - $1500

Ethan Garrett Guinn, from Moore, Oklahoma won second place for his project Video Games: The Next Generation's Addiction. He chose the topic based on his own observation that video games are often used as babysitting tools, yet can lead to obsessive use. Ethan won the competition as a senior at Moore High School in Moore, Oklahoma. He now attends Rose State College in Oklahoma.

Third Place - $1000

Shelby Marie Raye from Manatee High School in Bradenton, Florida captured third place. Her project, What's In and What's Out: High Schoolers' Perceptions of Coolness identified unique parameters that affect life trajectories, and may help scientists better understand peer pressure, a common force in initiation of substance abuse. Shelby won her high honors while only a freshman.