Ottawa, May 16, 2025 – Canadian students continue to make their mark on the global STEM stage, with Team Canada capturing three Grand Awards at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2025 held in Columbus, Ohio, May 10 – 16. Recognized as the world’s premier youth science competition, the event showcased the remarkable talent and innovative thinking of young scientists from around the globe.

Members of Team Canada-ISEF competed at the 2025 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio, May 10 – 16. Team Canada (from left to right) included chaperones Chris and Adelina Nielson with students Vincent Guo, Rayne Wallace, Jason Zhao, Yurui Qin, Arushi Nath, Veronica Guo, Gurnoor Kaur, and Tanvir Mundra, pictured at ISEF 2025 on May 15. Photo: Adelina Nielsen.

Each of the award-winning projects addressed significant real-world challenges through innovative scientific approaches.

“I’m incredibly proud of our Team Canada members who represented our country with such distinction,” said Reni Barlow, executive director at Youth Science Canada. “Their success on this international stage highlights the exceptional quality of youth STEM projects in Canada and the importance of providing opportunities for young innovators to showcase their work globally.”

Team Canada was honoured with three prestigious Third Awards, each carrying a prize of $1,200 USD:

Third Award – Earth and Environmental Sciences

Tanvir Mundra, St. John’s School, Vancouver, British Columbia

Saponin Surfactants: Novel Extraction of Environment Friendly Natural Saponins, and Their Effect on Bacterial Inhibition and Plant Histology

Third Award – Environmental Engineering

Vincent (Yu Chen) Guo, St. George’s School, Vancouver, British Columbia

Veronica (Yu Han) Guo, York House School, Vancouver, British Columbia

Dual-Purpose Biological Photovoltaic: Optimizing Power Output and Wastewater Treatment

Third Award – Physics and Astronomy

Arushi Nath, Bloor Collegiate Institute, Toronto, Ontario

NEPTUNE: N-body Exoplanet Prediction Using TTV for Unseen Exoplanets

“These achievements underscore the vital importance of STEM education and project-based learning,” said Dr. Marc Roussel, chair of the Team Canada-ISEF selection panel for Youth Science Canada. “Each of these projects demonstrates technical excellence but also creativity and a genuine desire to tackle pressing global challenges. These students exemplify the innovative thinking we need for the future.”

The Canadian students competed alongside their peers from over 80 countries, regions, and territories. Their success reflects both individual excellence and the strength of Canada’s STEM education ecosystem.

The YSC Team Canada-ISEF program is made possible through the generous support of the Gwyn Morgan and Patricia Trottier Foundation through its Youth Can Innovate program.

For more information on Team Canada or to help support Canadian youth in STEM, please visit the Youth Science Canada website at youthscience.ca.

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About Youth Science Canada

Youth Science Canada fuels the curiosity of Canadian youth through STEM projects. A registered charity incorporated in 1966, YSC delivers on its mission through national programs, including mySTEMspace, the National STEM Fair Network, Canada-Wide Science Fair, STEM Expo, Team Canada representation at international fairs and Smarter Science professional development for teachers. Through these programs, YSC directly supports the more than 500,000 students who do STEM projects in any given year. For more information, visit youthscience.ca.

About the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair

The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF), a program of Society for Science celebrating 75 years, is the world’s largest global science competition for high school students. Through a global network of local, regional and national science fairs, millions of students are encouraged to explore their passion for scientific inquiry. Each spring, a group of these students is selected as finalists and offered the opportunity to compete for approximately U.S. $9 million in awards and scholarships. Learn more at societyforscience.org/isef.

For more information:

Dalia Esposito
Torchia Communications
[email protected]
Cell: 514-984-4122