Youth Science Canada is thrilled to announce the outstanding achievements of Canadian students at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2024, held in Los Angeles, California. Competing against top young scientists from around the globe, our talented finalists demonstrated remarkable innovation and dedication, earning prestigious awards and accolades.

Regeneron ISEF is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. Each year, more than 1,800 high school students from over 80 countries, regions, and territories showcase their independent research and compete for approximately $5 million in awards, scholarships, and internships. The fair provides a platform for young innovators to present their groundbreaking projects and gain recognition on an international stage – and Canadians are showing why they deserve to be there!

Eight students selected by Youth Science Canada (YSC) were joined by 11 other students from Hamilton’s Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair (BASEF) and the Montreal Regional Science & Technology Fair (Montreal), to represent our country at the 2024 Regeneron ISEF. Photo credit: Wilson Wong

Youth Science Canada’s Team Canada celebrated four Grand Awards and three Special Awards. Among the celebrated winners were Chloe and Sophie Filion, awarded a first place award in embedded systems for their digital air rifle ballistic measuring device that could be a game-changer for the Olympic air rifle sport. Jason Zhao’s rocket-launched UAV for wildfire detection and Cindy Cheng’s stem cell microrobots earned them both a second place award and a special award. A third place award went to Keanu Chan for his low-cost spinal treatment device and Gurnoor Kaur’s malaria detection saw her receiving a special award. Other notable Canadian successes include Alia Wahban and Anthony Efthimiadis with first place awards in their respective categories, Maya LeBlanc and Tesko Chaganti were awarded a fourth award, and Alia also received a special award.

Beyond the competition, Team Canada-ISEF experienced a week filled with memorable moments and enriching activities. The students faced the stress and excitement of project setup and judging days, celebrated birthdays, and explored Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. They traded pins, gave presentations, and celebrated one another’s successes at the award ceremonies. The team continued the tradition of a Santa Monica beach day, visited Universal Studios, and enjoyed late-night movie sessions to round out a week filled with laughs, tears, and lots of smiles. Reflecting on his journey, Jason Zhao shared, “Earlier in the year I asked [YSC] if I could apply for Team Canada-ISEF, not having been to the Canada-Wide Science Fair. To go from that to winning awards at ISEF has been truly amazing.” These experiences not only highlighted the students’ scientific achievements but also forged lasting friendships and unforgettable memories.

Congratulations to all the students for their extraordinary achievements and for showcasing Canadian talent on the international stage. Your dedication and creativity are truly inspiring, and you have made your country proud!

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List of Winners and Their Projects

Grand Awards:

• First Award – Embedded Systems
  • Chloe Filion and Sophie Filion, École Secondaire Catholique Saint-Jean-de-Brebeuf, Fenwick, Ontario (YSC)
  • The Digital Air Rifle Ballistic Measuring Device

• First Award – Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design
  • Alia Wahban, Hillfield Strathallan College, Ontario (BASEF)
  • Redefining the Landscape of Hydrogen Safety Using Innovative Gasochromic Technology

• First Award – Robotics and Intelligent Machines
  • Anthony Efthimiadis, Oakville Trafalgar High School, Ontario (BASEF)
  • Rapid Screening for Major Skin Cancers with M-SCAHN: Multimodal Hierarchical CNN-Transformer Hybrid Networks with Advanced Interpretability, Lesion Evolution Tracking, Trait Identification, and Color Constancy for Improved Generalization in Diverse Populations

• Second Award – Engineering Technology: Statics & Dynamics
  • Jason Zhao, Collingwood School, West Vancouver, British Columbia (YSC)
  • Low-Cost Rapid Response Rocket Launched UAV for Wildfire Hotspot Detection

• Second Award – Materials Science
  • Cindy Cheng, Laurel Heights Secondary School, Waterloo, Ontario (YSC)
  • 3D Bioprinting Soft Microrobotic “Niches” for Stem Cell Delivery

• Third Award – Biomedical Engineering
  • Keanu Chan, Mount Baker Secondary School, Cranbrook, British Columbia (YSC)
  • PRecision Exospinal Constructive Innovative Stereotactic Evolution (PRECISE)

• Fourth Award – Biomedical and Health Sciences
  • Maya LeBlanc, Abbey Park High School, Ontario (BASEF)
  • Genetic Analysis of CD16+ Monocyte, CD16- Monocyte and CD4+ T Lymphocyte Cells to Identify Novel Gene Expression Signatures and Develop a Diagnostic Tool for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Special Awards:

• China Association for Science and Technology (CAST)
  • Jason Zhao, Collingwood School, West Vancouver, British Columbia (YSC)
  • Low-Cost Rapid Response Rocket Launched UAV for Wildfire Hotspot Detection

• • Cindy Cheng, Laurel Heights Secondary School, Waterloo, Ontario (YSC)
  • 3D Bioprinting Soft Microrobotic “Niches” for Stem Cell Delivery

• Non-Trivial Fellowship
  • Gurnoor Kaur, Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute, Waterloo, Ontario (YSC)
  • MalaScope – A Low-Cost Deep Learning Sensor for Label-Free Detection of Malaria

• Alfred University
  • Alia Wahban, Hillfield Strathallan College, Oakville, Ontario (BASEF)
  • Redefining the Landscape of Hydrogen Safety Using Innovative Gasochromic Technology

Other Canadian Finalists:

• David Salasidis (Montreal), A PCB Pneumotach
• Elizabeth Chen (YSC) CAR-T Patient Response Biomarker Identification
• William Xu (BASEF), Cellphone-Based Fourier Ptychography Microscope
• Linnea Helbing-Mantovani (Montreal), Sailor’s Turbine
• Christos Velmachos and Nathan Aruna (Montreal), Environmental Learning and Research Technology
• Arushi Nath (YSC) Accelerated Asteroid Characterization Using PhAst
• Lily Song (BASEF), Translator of Verbal Communication to Tactile Sign

Special mention:

A Canada-Wide Science Fair alum, now United States resident, Tesko Chaganti from Canton High School in Michigan, also received a Fourth Award – Translational Medical Science for his project The Secrets of Healthy Aging: Semi-Automated Discovery of Natural Senolytics.