Kerry Student Wins Top Prize at Stripe Young Scientist Exhibition

Aoibheann Daly, a fourth-year student from Mercy Secondary School Mounthawk in Kerry, has achieved remarkable recognition by winning the overall prize at the 2026 Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. Her innovative project, titled GlioScope: Multi-task Deep Learning and Causal AI for Glioma & Glioblastoma Profiling, earned her a grand prize of €7,500 and the opportunity to represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Kiel, Germany, scheduled for September 2026.

Daly’s project aims to revolutionize brain cancer diagnosis and treatment. Traditionally, doctors have relied on brain tissue samples for diagnosis, a method that is not only expensive but also carries significant risks, including potential bleeding in the brain. GlioScope addresses these challenges by enabling doctors to predict genetic mutations from a simple MRI brain scan. This advancement allows for quicker treatment decisions, ultimately reducing risks for patients.

Recognition from Experts

Prof. Catherine Darker, the head judge for the health and wellbeing category, praised Daly’s work: “Brain cancer is a devastating condition for people. GlioScope, developed by a 15-year-old student, is an extraordinary achievement. Aoibheann has brought together scientific areas of medicine with computer science to improve the chances of early intervention for people with brain cancer. She is a worthy winner of the Stripe Young Scientist & Technologist 2026.”

Additionally, Aoife Fadian and Jessica O’Connor, fifth-year students from Ursuline College in Sligo, received the best group award for their project, Sheep Strength II: Using Sheep Wool to Reinforce Concrete. Their research expanded on previous work, exploring the most effective and market-friendly use of sheep wool as a strengthening agent for concrete. Barry Kennedy, head judge in the technology category, noted the innovative nature of their project: “Using state-of-the-art scientific methods and rigorous evaluation techniques, Aoife and Jessica have demonstrated that embedding wool fibres reinforces concrete strength, enhances its thermal insulation properties, and increases its durability.”

Additional Award Winners

Joshua Corbett, a sixth-year student from St. Mary’s CBS in Laois, won the individual runner-up prize with his project, There’s Plenty of Room To Break Through at the Bottom. This project identified tiny nanocarriers for drug delivery via the nasal route to treat brain cancer. Dr. Rachel Quinlan, head judge for the chemical, physical, and mathematical sciences category, explained the significance of Corbett’s research: “Glioblastoma is the most lethal brain cancer, and its treatment is complicated by the need to transport drugs across the protective brain barrier. This expansive project used machine learning to identify the best designs of tiny nanocarriers, approximately one thousandth of the width of a human hair.”

Ritvik Venkateshwar and Hao Wen Liu, also fifth-year students from Stratford College in Dublin, were recognized as the runner-up group for their project titled A Simulation of Axion Monodromy Inflation to Investigate Whether It Can Describe Our Universe. They utilized advanced theoretical physics to accurately describe the early universe. Prof. Pat Guiry, Chair of the YSTE Board, commended their ambitious work: “This project tackles the extremely fast expansion of the universe from its beginning, validated by comparison with the latest astronomical observational data.”

The Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition continues to showcase innovative ideas and solutions from young minds, highlighting the potential of students like Aoibheann Daly to contribute significantly to scientific advancements and societal challenges.