Raneem Salah has always been fascinated by the brain, especially its remarkable ability to heal itself after injury. But it was learning about zebrafish – small, striped fish that can actually regenerate brain tissue after a stroke – that truly hooked her.

“The idea that a small fish could hold answers to such a huge medical challenge felt almost too good to be true,” Raneem recalls. “I wanted to explore whether we could use what’s happening in zebrafish to inspire treatments for humans one day.”

That curiosity launched a research project that would take her from managing unpredictable zebrafish trials to presenting at the Canada-Wide Science Fair in 2024, and eventually representing Canada at two prestigious international science fairs: the London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF) and MILSET Expo-Sciences International in Abu Dhabi in 2025.

The Challenge of Working with Living Subjects

Developing her project for CWSF came with unique challenges. Working with live zebrafish meant navigating constant unpredictability; managing their environment, running trials, and interpreting data that didn’t always behave as expected.

“I learned that research is as much about patience as it is about discovery,” she reflects.

But CWSF offered something beyond the science itself. “It felt like stepping into a world where curiosity ruled,” Raneem remembers. “I was standing by my project board, surrounded by students who were just as passionate about their topics. When people genuinely wanted to learn about my research, it felt surreal, like I wasn’t just a student anymore, but a young scientist with something meaningful to share.”

The Moment It All Became Real

The magnitude of representing Canada internationally didn’t fully sink in until Raneem landed at Abu Dhabi airport for MILSET. Half jet-lagged and waiting in the customs line, she looked up and saw 35 people ahead of her, all wearing the same red Team Canada sweaters.

“That’s when it truly sunk in. I wasn’t just a student travelling abroad; I was part of Team Canada,” she remembers. “I smiled to myself and thought, ‘Wow, I’m actually here. I’m really on this team.’ It was such a surreal mix of pride, excitement, and disbelief. Seeing everyone together, representing our country in this sea of international students, made me realize how special this opportunity was.”

Another unforgettable moment came during an excursion to Cambridge while attending LIYSF. Walking through cobblestone streets surrounded by centuries of history, with students and cyclists passing by, Raneem was struck by the surreal nature of her journey.

“I was there, halfway across the world, exploring a city that’s home to so many scientific milestones, because of my own research,” she explains. “My project, something that started with curiosity in a classroom and hours spent studying zebrafish, had brought me to a place where science truly lives and breathes. That day made me realize how far passion and persistence can take you.”

Science as a Bridge Between Cultures

Walking into LIYSF felt like stepping into a global think tank. Students from everywhere, each with their own accent, story, and science dream, gathered with a shared purpose. MILSET in Abu Dhabi brought a different energy, rich cultural exchange and excitement around innovation.

“You don’t realize how much science is a universal language until you actually go to these kinds of events,” Raneem notes.

Presenting internationally required adapting her approach. At CWSF, most people already understood the basics of how a stroke works. But internationally, she had to break it down differently.

“I focused less on complex biology and more on storytelling – why zebrafish matter, what regeneration means for future medicine, and how this research connects to real people,” she explains. “The impact of my research wasn’t so clear anymore, so ensuring that my audience understood it was crucial.”

She relied more on visuals and analogies, comparing zebrafish brain healing to “turning on a repair mode that humans lost.” The approach helped make the science accessible to everyone, regardless of background.

Language barriers occasionally made conversations tricky, especially when explaining scientific terms to students whose first language wasn’t English. But Raneem discovered something profound, “despite those differences, there was always a kind of ‘language carrier,’ and that was science itself,” she says. “The passion for discovery and curiosity bridged any gaps in vocabulary. When we talked about experiments, results, or ideas, everyone understood the excitement behind them, even if the words didn’t come out perfectly. I realized that science has this incredible way of connecting people beyond language or culture. Curiosity is universal; it doesn’t need translation.”

Learning to Embrace What You Don’t Know

One of the most valuable lessons came when judges and other students started asking technical questions about genetic signalling, an area she hadn’t yet reached in her research.

“I had a moment of panic, but I learned to admit what I didn’t know and talk about how I’d like to explore it next,” Raneem recalls. “That honesty made me feel more like a real scientist than pretending ever could.”

The experience revealed something important about confidence. “It doesn’t come from knowing all the answers, but from being curious enough to keep asking questions,” she reflects.

Perhaps most significantly, she discovered that she loves communicating science as much as doing it. “It’s one thing to understand your research, but it’s another to make someone else feel excited about it too.”

The Power of Cultural Diversity in Science

What surprised Raneem most about the international fairs was the diversity of ideas and approaches. At CWSF, students share similar educational backgrounds. But internationally, she witnessed how culture shapes the way people think about science.

“Some students approached problems from completely new angles because of how they were taught or what resources they had,” she explains. “It made me appreciate creativity even more.”

The experience also taught her adaptability, learning to read the room, simplify complex ideas, and find creative ways to make science engaging and relatable. Sometimes that meant swapping technical terms for metaphors, or focusing more on the “why” than the “how.”

“Each conversation was different, and I had to adjust my approach in real time,” she says. “That experience taught me that adaptability is one of the most valuable skills a person can have, not just in research, but in any future career.”

Advice for Future Scientists

For students wondering whether to pursue a STEM project, Raneem has some great advice.

“You don’t need to start with a million-dollar idea, you just need a question you genuinely care about,” she emphasizes. “Some of the best projects begin with simple curiosity and a passion to understand why something happens. When you care about your idea, it keeps you going through every failed trial, late night, and unexpected result.”

The process, she notes, becomes less about impressing others and more about discovering something new, even if it’s just for yourself. “Doing a STEM project teaches you so much more than science; it teaches you resilience, creativity, and self-belief. You learn how to think critically, communicate your ideas, and see beauty in the process of problem-solving. The moment your curiosity leads you somewhere unexpected, that’s when you realize you’re not just doing a school project, you’re doing real science.”

Why International Fairs Matter

Raneem believes strongly that Canada should continue sending students to international STEM fairs (we might be biased, but we agree too!).

“These experiences don’t just build better scientists, they build global thinkers,” she argues. “When Canadian students step into spaces like LIYSF or MILSET ESI, they’re sharing their research, but more importantly, they’re also representing the curiosity, creativity, and collaboration that define our country.”

Meeting young scientists from around the world opened her eyes to new perspectives, cultures, and ways of solving problems. All things she simply couldn’t learn in a classroom. “It’s incredibly inspiring to see how a shared love for STEM can connect people across borders and backgrounds.”

For Raneem, being part of Team Canada taught her that innovation thrives when ideas are exchanged freely. “These fairs don’t just showcase projects, they literally shape future leaders who understand that science is global, and progress depends on all of us working together.”

Science in Every Moment

Representing Canada at international science fairs helped Raneem realize how powerful youth-driven innovation can be and her experience reinforced a truth she now carries with her.

“Science doesn’t just happen in labs; it happens in conversations, in curiosity, in every ‘what if’ moment,” she reflects. “And being part of a global community that believes that too? That’s something I’ll carry with me forever.”

From her initial fascination with how zebrafish regenerate brain tissue to standing in Cambridge streets halfway across the world, Raneem’s journey demonstrates what’s possible when curiosity meets opportunity. Her story reminds us that the best scientific questions often start with genuine wonder about how the world works, and that sometimes, even the smallest creatures hold the biggest answers.