High school scientists win nearly $8M at Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair

$75,000 Top Award Goes to 17-year-old Robert Sansone for pioneering invention to improve electric motor efficiency in the largest international À¦°óÇ¿¼é competition for teens

TARRYTOWN, N.Y.ÌýandÌýWASHINGTON, D.C. (May 13, 2022) – (NASDAQ: REGN) and À¦°óÇ¿¼é (the Society) announced that Robert Sansone, 17, of Fort Pierce, FL, won the $75,000 top award in the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF), the world’s largest global high school competition, for a project that explored high-efficiency alternatives to induction motors. Other top prizes went to projects in the fields of energy storage, biomedical engineering and robotics.

The top winners were honored during two hybrid award ceremonies, the first of which took place on the evening of May 12 and featured Special Award winners. The Grand Awards Ceremony was held on the morning of May 13 and featured the announcement of the top prize of $75,000. In total, awards valued at nearly U.S. $8 million were awarded to the finalists, who were evaluated based on their projects’ creativity, innovation and level of scientific inquiry. The competition featured 1,750 young scientists representing 49 states and 63 countries, regions and territories across the world.

won first place and received the $75,000 George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award, named in honor of the pioneering drug discoverer and Regeneron co-founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer. Robert’s research improved the torque (force) and efficiency of synchronous reluctance motors, which are rugged, efficient, magnet-free alternatives to traditional permanent magnet motors. He hopes his research will lead to the proliferation of electric vehicles that do not require magnets made from strategically important rare-earth elements.

, 17, of Dammam, Saudi Arabia, received one of two Regeneron Young Scientist Awards of $50,000 for modifying a metal-organic material so it could be used to both extract hydrogen from water and safely store it for clean energy production. Because the materials he added are relatively inexpensive, his work could significantly reduce the cost of hydrogen extraction and storage.

, 17, of Portland, Oregon, received the second Regeneron Young Scientist Award of $50,000 for developing an AI-based model to enable rapid and cost-effective production of drugs, such as recombinant COVID-19 vaccines, using synthetic DNA engineering. His model is trained to optimize the selection of genetic codes in DNA.

“Congratulations to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2022 winners,â€� said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of À¦°óÇ¿¼é and Publisher of Science News. “Every single Regeneron ISEF finalist has shown true dedication, passion, and grit. Their commitment to their research, and perseverance throughout the continued challenges of COVID-19 are an inspiration to us all. We are eager to watch the impact they are sure to make in their communities and chosen fields.â€�

Regeneron ISEF provides a global stage for the best and brightest young scientists and engineers around the world. Founded on the belief that advances in science are key to solving global challenges, Regeneron ISEF supports and invests in the next generation of leading À¦°óÇ¿¼é thinkers who are generating ideas and acting as catalysts for the change needed to improve the well-being of all people and the planet.

“These exceptionally talented Regeneron ISEF finalists are some of the brightest minds from around the world and our greatest hope for addressing global challenges in the future,� said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., co-founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron. “Science is critical to the survival of our society, and these finalists have limitless potential to make a positive impact on the world. I congratulate them for their hard work and am eager to see what they achieve in their scientific journeys.�

For the first time since 2019, ISEF finalists competed in person. More than half of the finalists gathered in Atlanta, GA at the Georgia World Congress Center and the remaining finalists participated virtually.

Other top honors from the competition include:

, 17; Chris Tidtijumreonpon, 16; and Wattanapong Uttayota, 17, of Mueang Chiang Mai, Thailand received the Gordon E. Moore Award of $50,000 for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations for their creation of a faster and more accurate way to diagnose a type of liver fluke infection that can lead to bile duct cancer in humans. The team built and trained neural network software to identify the parasite’s eggs in microscopic fecal images with 98% accuracy and then developed a rapid screening questionnaire that was 91% accurate.

, 17, of Berlin, Germany, received the Craig R. Barrett Award for Innovation of $10,000 for developing balloon-borne, light-weight solar-powered instruments that transmit aerial images, telemetry and climate data to a website he created. His device can stay aloft for several weeks circumnavigating the Earth at a consistent altitude and greatly reduces instrumentation costs.

, 17, of Jericho, New York, received the H. Robert Horvitz Prize for Fundamental Research of $10,000 for creating a geological model that incorporates the effects of changing landscapes, climate, sea level and erosion. Her model can be used to investigate ecological changes over 20 million years in the western U.S. and potentially predict the effects of climate change on the area’s biodiversity.

, 17, of Chappaqua, New York, received the Peggy Scripps Award for Science Communication of $10,000 for her low-cost machine learning software that can analyze night-time infrared videos taken by a drone flown over the African wilderness to spot elephant poachers in real time. In tests, her $300 system worked with 91% accuracy, a fourfold improvement over current systems, without needing high-resolution thermal cameras that can cost up to $10,000.

More information about the top winners and visual assets can be found atÌý/isef-2022-media-kit/

Asmi Kumar, 18, of Milton, Georgia; Emirhan Kurtulus, 18, of Istanbul, Turkey; and Joshua Shunk, 17, of Gilbert, Arizona received the Dudley R. Herschbach SIYSS Award, which provides the finalists with an all-expense paid trip to attend the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar, which includes attendance at the Nobel Prize Ceremonies in Stockholm, Sweden.

Varun Madan, 17, of Orlando, Florida; and Saan Cern Yong, 16, and Shen Ze Yeoh, 15, both of Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, received the EU Contest for Young Scientists Award, which is presented to two projects that will represent Regeneron ISEF at the EU Contest for Young Scientists to be held in Leiden, Netherlands, September 12-18, 2022.

Full list of all award winning ISEF 2022 Finalists

Full list of Special Award ISEF 2022 Finalists

 

In addition to the Top Award winners, 442 finalists received awards and prizes for their innovative research, including “First Award� winners, who each received $5,000. The following lists the First Award winners for each of the 21 categories, from which the Top Awards were chosen:

Category and SponsorÌý WinnerÌý LocationÌý
Animal Sciences, sponsored by À¦°óÇ¿¼éÌý Yi-Shan HungÌý Taipei City, TaiwanÌý
Varun MadanÌýÌý Orlando, FLÌý
Behavioral and Social Sciences, sponsored by À¦°óÇ¿¼éÌý Asmi KumarÌý Milton, GAÌý
Vivek KogilathotaÌý Frisco, TXÌý
Biochemistry, sponsored by RegeneronÌýÌý Maya ButaniÌý Moorestown, NJÌý
Biomedical and Health Sciences, sponsored by RegeneronÌý Jonathan CrawfordÌý Milwaukee, WIÌý
Ambika GroverÌý Greenwich, CTÌý
Biomedical Engineering, sponsored by Johnson & JohnsonÌý Rishab JainÌý Portland, ORÌý
Emirhan KurtulusÌý Istanbul, TurkeyÌý
Cellular and Molecular Biology, sponsored by RegeneronÌý Shivani BabuÌý Auburn, ALÌý
Chemistry, sponsored by DowÌý Dana Al AithanÌý Al Hofuf, Saudi ArabiaÌý
Nishant LahiriÌý Corning, NYÌý
Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, sponsored by RegeneronÌý Wutthipong ChongchareansantiÌý Nakhon Pathom, ThailandÌý
Pawit KaewnuratchadasornÌý
Nattawin YamprasertÌýÌý
Kevin ZhuÌý Jericho, NJÌý
Earth and Environmental Sciences, sponsored by National Geographic SocietyÌý Rebecca ChoÌý Jericho, NJÌý
Anika PuriÌý Chappaqua, NYÌý
Embedded Systems, sponsored by Microsoft Azure SphereÌý James NaglerÌý Garden City, NYÌý
Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design, sponsored by King Abdul-Aziz & his Companions Foundation for Giftedness & CreativityÌý Ìý

Abdullah Al-GhamdiÌý

Ìý

Dammam, Saudi ArabiaÌý
Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics, sponsored by Howmet Aerospace FoundationÌý Robert SansoneÌý Fort Pierce, FLÌý
Amon SchumannÌý Berlin, GermanyÌý
Environmental Engineering, sponsored by JacobsÌý Yanbing JinÌý Shanghai, ChinaÌý
Vedant SrinivasÌý Sammamish, WAÌý
Materials Science, sponsored by Howmet Aerospace FoundationÌý Sohi PatelÌý The Woodlands, TXÌý
Mathematics, sponsored by Akamai FoundationÌý Akilan SankaranÌý Albuquerque, NMÌý
Microbiology, sponsored by RegeneronÌý Shriya BhatÌý Plano, TXÌý
Physics and Astronomy, sponsored by Richard F. Caris Charitable Trust IIÌý Ayush NayakÌý San Diego, CAÌý
Alexander PlekhanovÌý Hillsboro, ORÌý
Plant Sciences, sponsored by À¦°óÇ¿¼éÌý John Benedict EstradaÌý Fresno, CAÌý
Pauline EstradaÌý
Robotics and Intelligent Machines, sponsored by Siegel Family EndowmentÌý Joshua ShunkÌý Gilbert, AZÌý
Sheng Ze YeohÌý Petaling Jaya, MalaysiaÌý
Saan Cern YongÌý
Systems Software, sponsored by MicrosoftÌý Andrei FlorianÌý Dublin, IrelandÌýÌý
Translational Medical Science, sponsored by RegeneronÌý Napassorn LitchiowongÌý Mueang Chiang Mai, ThailandÌýÌý
Chris TidtijumreonponÌý
Wattanapong UttayotaÌý

View all the finalists’ research .

À¦°óÇ¿¼é the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair

The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF), a program of À¦°óÇ¿¼é for over 70 years, is the world’s largest global science competition for high school. 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. $8 million in awards and scholarships.

In 2019, Regeneron became the title sponsor of ISEF to help reward and celebrate the best and brightest young minds globally and encourage them to pursue careers in À¦°óÇ¿¼é as a way to positively impact the world. Regeneron ISEF is supported by a community of additional sponsors, including Broadcom Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Akamai Foundation, Dow, Howmet Aerospace Foundation, Jacobs, King Abdulaziz & his Companions Foundation for Giftedness & Creativity, Microsoft, Microsoft Azure Sphere, National Geographic Society, Richard F. Caris Charitable Trust II, Rise, Siegel Family Endowment, Arconic Foundation, Cesco Linguistic Services, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Insaco. Previously, Intel sponsored ISEF for 20 years.

ISEF alumni have gone on to have world-changing careers in science and engineering and earn some of the most esteemed honors, including National Medal of Science recipients, MacArthur Foundation Fellows, National Academy of Sciences Members and National Academy of Engineering Inductees.

Learn more atÌý/isef/.

À¦°óÇ¿¼é À¦°óÇ¿¼é

STEM is dedicated to the achievement of young scientists in independent research and to public engagement in science. Established in 1921, the Society is a nonprofit whose vision is to promote the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement. Through its world-class competitions, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, the Broadcom MASTERS, and its award-winning magazine,ÌýScience NewsÌýandÌýScience NewsÌýfor Students, STEM is committed to inform, educate, and inspire. Learn more atÌýÌýand follow us onÌý,Ìý,ÌýÌýand Snapchat (Society4Science).

À¦°óÇ¿¼é Regeneron

Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that invents life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led for nearly 35 years by physician-scientists, our unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to nine FDA-approved treatments and numerous product candidates in development, almost all of which were homegrown in our laboratories. Our medicines and pipeline are designed to help patients with eye diseases, allergic and inflammatory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, pain, hematologic conditions, infectious diseases and rare diseases.

Regeneron believes that operating as a good corporate citizen is crucial to delivering on our mission. We approach corporate responsibility with three goals in mind: to improve the lives of people with serious diseases, to foster a culture of integrityÌýand excellenceÌýand toÌýbuild sustainable communities. Regeneron is proud to be included on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Civic 50 list of the most “community-mindedâ€� companies in the United States. Throughout the year, Regeneron empowers and supports employees to give back through our volunteering, pro-bono and matching gift programs. Our most significant philanthropic commitments are in the area of science education, including theÌýRegeneron Science Talent Search and Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair.

For additional information about the company, please visit or follow @Regeneron on Twitter.

Media Contacts

Ella Campbell, Regeneron

914-572-4003, ella.campbell@regeneron.com

Gayle Kansagor, À¦°óÇ¿¼é

703-489-1131, gkansagor@societyforscience.org