Winners of the 2026 INO-NEXUS Essay Contest
Congratulations to the Winners! Learn more about them and read their essays below:
Neurotechnology
1st Place
Audrey Lee
(she/her)
A Self-Optimizing Artificial Intelligence–assisted Early Music Intervention Training Framework for Delaying Alzheimer's Disease Onset
12th Grade at Chatham High School (NJ) and Juilliard Pre-College (NYC), United States of America
Audrey Lee is a senior at Chatham High School in New Jersey. She is a violinist in the Juilliard Pre-College Division, and music has taught her much more than discipline and technical precision — it has shaped the way she listens, thinks, and connects with others. Alongside music, she has developed a strong interest in neuroscience, medicine, and research, particularly in exploring the connection between music and cognitive health. Through her research interests, medical volunteering and shadowing experiences, and community involvement, she has become increasingly interested in how scientific discovery can have a meaningful impact on people’s lives. She hopes to bring her love for music, curiosity, and commitment to helping others together in all of her future pursuits.
3rd Place
Antonella Ardila Grillo
(she/her)
Restoring Brain Rhythms: A Neurotechnology Approach to Chemotherapy-Induced Cognitive Impairment
12th Grade at Colegio Bolivar, Colombia
Antonella Ardila is a Colombian high school senior interested in neuroscience, oncology, and the ways scientific research can improve people’s lives. She founded a youth-led initiative addressing the connection between mental health and youth violence in Colombia and has pursued research in both brain health and cancer. In the future, she plans to pursue medical research while using science to make a difference in her community.
Mixed Topics
1st Place
(she/her)
Aanvi Gupta
Closed-Loop Neuromodulation for MCS–Patients Using hdEEG, AI, and tFUS
11th Grade at Innovation Academy, United States
Aanvi Gupta is a high school junior at Innovation Academy with a deep fascination with neuroscience, mathematics, and computational medicine. She is especially interested in exploring how holistic approaches can help improve our understanding of the brain and inspire innovative solutions to complex medical challenges, including through her work on ARCUS, a proposed closed-loop neuromodulation system for patients in a minimally conscious state. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in research and medicine that allows her to combine interdisciplinary thinking, creativity, and purpose to make meaningful contributions to human health.
3rd Place
Maya Karginova
(she/her)
The Paradox of Neural Stem Cell Transplantation and Anthropogenic Air Pollution
12th Grade at Riverside STEM academy High School, United States
Maya Karginova is a senior at Riverside STEM Academy High School in California. Fascinated by the relationship between neurodegeneration and environmental science, she balances active civic engagement in her community with hands-on research into neuroinflammation and reactive astrocytes. Her research has explored how environmental toxins influence astrocyte reactivity in neurodegenerative pathways, deepening her interest in the intersection of biology and engineering. She plans to pursue a career in bioengineering, with a particular interest in regenerative medicine.
Neuroethics
1st Place
William Sturdy
(he/him)
All Trials are Unethical: Understanding as ‘Entropy Descent’ and the Judicial Consequences
Upper Sixth (12th Grade) at Bristol Grammar School, England
William Sturdy is an aspiring research scientist who hopes to lead a career in evolutionary and artificial neuroscience.
2nd Place
Princess Otegbulu
(she/her)
Consent Under Siege: Parkinson’s Patients and the Price of Progress
11th Grade at California Academy of Math and Science, United States
Princess is a junior at the California Academy of Math and Science. Outside of school, she conducts research on cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease by analyzing electrical brain activity. In her free time, she enjoys playing basketball and making vlogs with her friends about trying new foods, discussing theology, and sharing moments from her everyday life.
3rd Place
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Ikon Kim
(he/him)
Reward Without a Molecule
12th Grade at St. Mark's School, Southborough, Massachusetts, United States
Ikon Kim is interested in medicine, artificial intelligence, and plant science. Outside of class, he leads a herbarium project at his school and is conducting an independent study in plant chemistry this fall. He hopes to study plant sciences in college and continue exploring the intersections between biology, technology, and human health.
Honorable Mentions
The following participants fell within the top 10% of all submissions. Their names are written in no particular order.
Noah Gudal - 11th Grade at Atholton High School
Tara Gulati - 12th Grade at Bronx High School of Science
Amina Kussainova - 11C at Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Astana IB
Ahsan Ali - Heuser College Karachi Pakistan
Gabriel Tegay - 11th Grade Wunderkind Family
Shams Ashraf - 12th Grade at Dakahila STEM School
Yelyzaveta Hurevych - 12th Grade at Acellus Academy
Assyltay Alimansur Kuatzhanuly - 9th Grade at Astana Bilim Innovation Lyceum for Gifted Boys
Youssef Ayman Essam Mahmoud - 12th Grade at Omar Bin AbdulAziz
Aadya Illendula - 10th Grade at Round Rock High School
Jasmine Zabua - 11th Grade at Chaparral High School
Ela Taner - 11th grade at Earl Haig Secondary School
Omar Ali Ramadan - 11th Grade at Alexandria STEM School
Hannah Chae - 12th Grade at Marianas High School
Hazem Ahmed Alhrairy - 12th Grade at Kafr El-Sheikh STEM School
Alaina Yan - 12th Grade at Canyon Crest Academy
Sudeep Gandra - 12th Grade at Alpharetta High School
Junheng Quan - 11th Grade at Marianas High School
Deshaun Hadley - 12th Grade at River City Science Academy Middle & High
Nesya Klausner - 11th Grade at Asheville School
Anun Amgalan - 12th Grade at Henry M. Gunn High School
Shyla Kaul - 11th Grade in New Delhi, India
George Adel Magdy - 11th Grade at Elmenya Stem School