For as long as Johnson Lin can remember, his parents have encouraged him to learn as much as he can about the world around him.

And so when a close friend of the Lin family was diagnosed with cancer and Lin observed the brutal toll exacted on her not just by the disease, but also by its treatment, he did, what was for him, the most natural thing in the world. He studied.

“I just thought that if there was a treatment for cancer that did not cause as much harm as radiation or chemotherapy, that would be better for the patient,” Lin said.

The learning curve was steep for an eighth-grader with no real background in medicine, but, as he always did, Lin approached his research methodically, patiently educating himself about different types of cancer and about the efficacy, limitations and detriments of standard treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy. He also learned, first through YouTube video and later through more intensive study, about the potential benefits of genetic therapy for treatment of cancer and other diseases.

The Hawaii Baptist Academy student’s largely self-directed research became the basis for “Gene Therapy on Lung Cancer Cells,” a science project that Lin developed for the Seventh Annual Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering Rising Stars) competition for middle- school students.

“I didn’t expect to advance at all, but I thought that since (my teachers) gave me the application, I should submit it,” Lin said. “My parents thought it was cool that I learned all those things, but when it came to the competition, they told me it was OK if I didn’t make it.”

In fact, Lin and four other Hawaii middle schoolers were among 300 students whose projects were selected from a pool of nearly 2,500 applications.

Also selected were Alicia Chun (Hilo Intermediate), Lela DeVine (Waiakea Intermediate), Royce Daniel Illaga (Waipahu Intermediate) and Kevin Li (Waiakea Intermediate).

While none of the Hawaii scholars advanced to the final round, Lin said the process of learning more about cancer and its treatments was more than worth the effort.

“I love learning,” he said. “My parents told me early on to learn as much as I can because it helps to understand how the world works.”

Lin’s parents immigrated to the United States from Zhanjiang, China. His mother is a homemaker who has devoted most of her time to raising Lin and his older sister, while Lin’s father works as a waiter at the Pagoda restaurant.

Lin says his parents’ emphasis on education — independent as well as formal — has encouraged him to explore a range of interests. As a newly risen freshman at HBA, he’s active in the Math League, Stock Club, Science Olympiad and Model UN. He’s also on the staff of the Eagle Eye, HBA’s student-focused news publication and website (he’s currently working on a video about a Rubik’s Cube-like device that he created).

In his free time the soon-to-be 14-year-old enjoys swimming at the beach, writing short stories and reading classics like Dante’s “The Inferno.”

“I just try to enjoy life,” Lin said.

Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.