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16-Year-Old Brazilian Student Brings Artificial Skin Project for Cellular Regeneration to the World’s Largest Pre-University Science Fair, Wins International Prize in Dollars and Highlights School Research Developed in Maranhão in a Global Competition Gathering Thousands of Young Scientists.
At 16 years old, Maranhão student Sofia Mota Nunes presented a project on “artificial skin” aimed at cellular regeneration and burn treatment, and received an international prize in dollars at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, considered the main pre-university science and engineering competition.
The young woman, from Imperatriz, Maranhão, was awarded the Mary Kay Inc. Prize, worth US$ 750, for her research titled “Artificial Skin for Cellular Regeneration and Burn Treatment”, developed under the guidance of Professor Carlos Fonseca Sampaio at the Santa Teresinha School.
The recognition occurred at the 2025 edition of the fair, held in Columbus, Ohio, USA, within the category of special awards offered by partners of the competition, known as “Special Awards,” according to public records released by accredited Brazilian institutions.
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World’s Largest Student Science Fair
Organized by the Society for Science, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) serves as an international stage that gathers finalists selected from national and regional fairs, bringing together young researchers in presentations evaluated by judges, with awards in different fields of knowledge.
In the 2025 edition, the organization reported that the event gathered around 1,700 finalists from over 60 countries, regions, and territories, with the distribution of over US$ 9 million in prizes and scholarships, figures often used as a reference for the scale of the competition.
The Brazilian participation in the competition goes through national accreditations, and Sofia’s name appears in the public lists of awardees published by organizations that monitor the country’s performance at the event, including the Brazilian fair that is part of the selection network.
In the records, the student is identified as a participant from Imperatriz and linked to Santa Teresinha School, with an indication of her advisor and the project presented, in addition to the confirmation of the prize sponsored by Mary Kay Inc., with a value specified in dollars.
Artificial Skin Project for Cellular Regeneration
The awarded proposal was described as the development of a biocompatible film designed to act as a support for skin regeneration, focusing on burn situations, within the scope of school research and experimental demonstration.
In public information about the project, the goal appears to be associated with creating an alternative that seeks to promote cellular proliferation and regeneration, with samples produced in a school laboratory environment, under the supervision of teacher guidance.
The initiative was presented as a research and development project, without characterization as a product ready for hospital use, a relevant point because, in this type of competition, the judging tends to prioritize method, clarity, creativity, and rigor compatible with the pre-university stage.
At the same time, the theme connects to broad lines of research in biomaterials and regenerative medicine, fields that study strategies to support tissue recovery, although different approaches have varied levels of maturity, validation, and clinical application.
Burns Still Represent a Global Health Challenge
The choice of topic has global significance because burns continue to be associated with high morbidity and mortality in different countries, especially where access to prevention, prompt care, and specialized centers is more limited and unequal.
The World Health Organization estimates that burns cause around 180,000 deaths per year worldwide, with a greater impact in low- and middle-income countries, in addition to significant consequences in non-fatal cases, such as prolonged hospitalizations and disabilities.
This scenario helps explain why solutions supporting tissue repair often emerge in academic research and innovation initiatives, including studies on advanced dressings, protective films, biocompatible materials, and strategies aimed at reducing complications.
Even though the term “artificial skin” is frequently present in the news, what typically differentiates a school project from a medical product is the need for long validation and clinical testing phases, required before any large-scale hospital application.
How Awards Work in the International Competition
The Regeneron ISEF awards projects by categories and also by special awards offered by institutions, companies, and partner organizations, with separate ceremonies and values that can include monetary amounts, scholarships, and educational opportunities.
In the edition where Sofia was recognized, the special awards ceremony occurred separately from the main awards presentation, reinforcing the event’s structure as a sequence of presentations, evaluations, and public announcements of results for different types of awards.
In the case of the Maranhão student, the award was associated with sponsor Mary Kay Inc. and the amount of US$ 750, following the official identification with name, age, project, school, and accreditation, a standard used by the organizers and Brazilian institutions that publish results.
The record of the work also helps to delineate the nature of the recognition, because the award certifies merit within a large-scale student competition, without equating to medical usage authorization, granted patents, or clinical validation.
Science Done in Brazilian Schools Gains International Visibility
The award received by a teenager from Imperatriz highlights how projects developed in schools, with teacher guidance and access to laboratory facilities, can engage with cutting-edge scientific topics and achieve visibility in competitive arenas outside the country.
In this type of circuit, selection goes through several stages, and reaching the international phase implies having been chosen in previous competitions, which makes the presence of Brazilian students an indicator of the work of national fairs and scientific initiation networks.
Organizations and institutions that monitored Brazil’s participation in the 2025 edition recorded that students from the country received recognitions in different areas, reinforcing that the Brazilian delegation returned to be among the awardees in various categories.
Sofia’s story combines, at the same time, a known health issue in any country and the ability to transform a technical subject into structured research, with public presentation, method, and scientific documentation.
The official announcement of the result, with identification of the author, the advisor, the school, and the prize, also provides a verification path regarding what was presented and in which category recognition was earned, something considered important in matters related to health.
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