Meet Iris Shen, 17, who tested blood cancer drugs and won $150,000 science prize

Iris Shen, a 17-year-old student from The Woodlands, Texas, has earned third place and a $150,000 award in the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search for an unusually creative approach to blood-cancer research.

Instead of relying only on conventional laboratory models, Shen tested a potential cancer drug in clams to determine whether these animals could serve as an animal model for blood-cancer drug discovery. According to Society for Science and Regeneron, the drug produced an effect in the clams similar to that observed in human cells, while a combination of other potential cancer drugs slowed the clams’ tumour growth.Her work stands out because it connects marine biology, cancer biology, and drug testing in a way that could eventually help researchers screen treatments more efficiently. The award recognises not only a promising result, but also the originality of asking whether an unexpected organism could help answer an urgent medical question. Read more details about Iris and her discovery here:

A young researcher with a bold idea

Shen’s project began with a practical challenge in cancer research: scientists need reliable models to test whether potential drugs may work before moving toward human studies.

Blood cancers, which affect blood cells and bone marrow, can be difficult to study because their biology differs from solid tumours. Shen explored whether clams, which can develop leukemia-like cancers, might offer a useful living system for testing treatments, as per the report.The idea may sound unexpected, but it reflects a core principle of scientific research. A good model does not have to look like the organism it represents; it needs to share enough biological behaviour to provide meaningful clues.

In Shen’s study, the clam model responded to a potential cancer drug in a way that resembled effects seen in human cells, suggesting that the animals could help researchers evaluate certain blood-cancer therapies.

This is important because early drug testing often depends on models that are affordable, ethical, and scientifically informative. If clam-based models can be validated further, they could become a complementary tool for identifying drug candidates before more complex and expensive testing begins.

Testing a drug combination

Shen did not stop at testing one potential treatment. She also examined a mix of other potential cancer drugs and found that the combination slowed tumour growth in the clams. That result suggests that the model may be useful not only for studying individual drugs, but also for exploring how treatments perform when used together.Drug combinations are a major focus in cancer research because tumours can develop resistance to a single therapy.

By testing multiple drugs in a living model, researchers can observe whether different treatments work better together, interfere with one another, or produce effects that would be difficult to predict in isolated cells. Shen’s findings indicate that clams may provide a practical way to explore those questions.Her research does not mean that clams can replace human trials or that the drug combination is ready for patients.

Rather, it offers an early-stage proof of concept. The next step for scientists would be to understand the mechanisms behind the observed response, reproduce the findings, and determine how well the clam model aligns with human blood-cancer biology.

Why clams matter in cancer research

Clams can develop a transmissible cancer known as disseminated neoplasia, a disease in which cancerous cells spread through the animal’s circulatory system, suggested the report.

Because this resembles certain features of blood cancers, researchers have become increasingly interested in studying these shellfish to understand cancer cell survival, spread, and treatment response.Shen’s contribution was to test whether this natural phenomenon could be used as a practical drug-discovery model. Her experiment showed that a potential cancer drug had a similar effect in clams to the response observed in human cells, which is a meaningful early signal for the model’s usefulness.The research also highlights how scientific breakthroughs can come from looking beyond the usual laboratory tools. While mice, cell cultures, and organoids remain central to biomedical research, alternative models can sometimes reveal biological patterns that are harder to detect in traditional systems. Shen’s work demonstrates how curiosity about an unconventional organism can lead to a potentially valuable research method.Recognition at the science talent searchThe Regeneron Science Talent Search is the United States’ oldest and most prestigious science and mathematics competition for high school seniors. In 2026, more than 2,600 students submitted original research projects, and 40 finalists were selected to present their work in Washington, D.C. Shen received third place and $150,000 for her research . First place and $250,000 went to Connor Hill of Pennsylvania for his work on noble polyhedra, while Edward Kang of New Jersey received second place and $175,000 for developing an AI-based retinal screening tool linked to autism and ADHD research, as per Society for Science.The competition evaluates students on scientific rigour, originality, critical thinking, leadership potential, and their commitment to creating meaningful impact in STEM fields. Shen’s project fits that standard because it addresses a real research gap while proposing a creative and testable solution.

A prize with a larger purpose

The $150,000 award is significant, but the broader value of Shen’s work lies in its potential direction.

Her findings provide a starting point for further investigation into clam-based models for blood-cancer drug discovery, especially for screening combinations of therapies before they advance to more resource-intensive studies.The 2026 competition awarded more than $1.8 million to its 40 finalists, with total Regeneron awards reaching $3.1 million when including support for top scholars and their schools.

The programme has recognised thousands of young researchers since Regeneron became its title sponsor in 2017, and its alumni include Nobel laureates, MacArthur Fellows, and recipients of the National Medal of Science, as per the report.For Shen, the recognition confirms that a high school research project can ask serious scientific questions. Her clam-based approach may still be at an early stage, but it shows how fresh thinking can open new paths in cancer research.

What's next

The key challenge now is validation. Scientists would need to test the clam model across more drugs, compare its responses with established blood-cancer models, and identify which types of treatments it can predict most reliably. They would also need to understand why the tested drug combination slowed tumour growth and whether that effect can be replicated under controlled laboratory conditions.Even so, Shen’s achievement is a reminder that innovation often begins with a simple question. Can a creature from the shoreline help scientists understand a disease that affects human blood? Her research suggests that the answer may be yes, and it has already earned her a place among the most promising young scientists in the United States.