The Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2026, where high school students from around the world present the results of their science and technology research,
was held in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, from May 9th to 15th, 2026
Approximately 1,700 high school students from around 60 countries and regions presented their research findings at the conference
Five of them were students of UTokyoGSC-Next.
Congratulations to everyone on winning the awards!
Photo Credit: Lisa Fryklund/Licensed by Society for Science
Photo Credit: Chris Ayers Photography/Licensed by Society for Science
● Teru Kuribayashi (6th graduating class, Sapporo Kaisei Municipal Secondary School) won the George Jankopolos Innovation Award, the highest award among approximately 1400 projects across all categories
Awards: George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award,
Physics and Astronomy Division, Excellence Award (1st Class),
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award
Title (English): Sampling the Complete Configuration Space of Origami and Linkages Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo
Title (Japanese): Research on Linkages Using Markov Chain Monte Carlo Method
Supervising Laboratory:Todo Laboratory (Graduate School of Science)
Photo courtesy of NPO Japan Science Service (NSS)
● Go Kato (6th graduating class, Tokyo Gakugei University Senior High School (affiliation at the time of research))
Award: 4th place Excellence Award in Animal Science,
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award
Title (English): Quantitative Analysis of Angle-Dependent Surface Coloration on Sashimi: Testing Thin-Film Interference, Muscle-Fiber Structural Color, and Optical Activity
Title (Japanese): Study on the relationship between the microstructure and structural color of myofibrils in a cross-section of sashimi
Supervising Laboratory:Iwamoto Laboratory (Institute of Industrial Science)
Photo courtesy of NPO Japan Science Service (NSS)
● Sophia Rei Nagasaka (6th graduating class, Tokyo Metropolitan Hibiya High School)
Awards: 4th place Excellence Award in the Biochemistry Division,
Special Award: Society Alumni Special Award,
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award
Title (English): Drug Repositioning for Novel Genome Engineering: Technology With High Therapeutic Efficacy and Low Side Effects
Title (Japanese): Development of Genetic Engineering Technology Utilizing Drug Repositioning
Supervising Laboratory:Moritoshi Sato Laboratory, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences/Faculty of Liberal Arts
Photo courtesy of NPO Japan Science Service (NSS)
●Kazuhiro Komatsu (6th graduating class, Suwa Seiryo High School, Nagano Prefecture)
Awards: 2nd place Excellence Award in Plant Science,
Special Award: Arizona State University, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey TUBITAK
Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award
Title (English): Learning Without a Brain: Habituation and Stimulus Discrimination in Mimosa pudica Explained by Mechanosensitive Channel Desensitization?
Title (Japanese): Stimulus Discrimination and Learning Ability in Mimosa pudica – Demonstration Using a Stimulator and AI Leaf Opening/Closing Degree Assessment
Supervising Laboratory:Sueji Laboratory, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Faculty of Liberal Arts
● Kai Miyajima (6th graduating class, Sapporo Kaisei Municipal Secondary School)
Award: Special Prize from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
Title (English): Morphological Evolution of Diving Beetles (Dytiscidae) from a Fluid Dynamics Perspective
Title (Japanese): "A Fluid Dynamics Perspective on the Morphological Evolution and Adaptation of Diving Beetles"
Category: Physics and Astronomy
Guiding laboratory:Graduate School of Engineering, Fluid Engineering Laboratory