San Diego Teen Wins $80K Scholarship in Prestigious National Science Contest

Leanne Fan, 18, created a device to simulate microgravity and study how red light can help heal wounds for astronauts in space.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 12:04am

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Leanne Fan, an 18-year-old student at Westview High School in San Diego, won sixth place and an $80,000 scholarship at the prestigious Regeneron Science Talent Search national competition. Fan created a device to simulate microgravity conditions and examine how red light can help heal wounds, in order to study ways to improve medical treatment for astronauts in space.

Why it matters

Fan's project highlights the growing interest and investment in space medicine research, as private companies and government agencies work to enable longer-duration human spaceflight. Her work could lead to new treatments and technologies to support the health of astronauts on future missions.

The details

For her project, Fan used planarian worms as a stand-in for humans and placed them inside a device she built called a clinostat to simulate microgravity conditions. She then studied how red light affected the worms' healing process, taking daily photos to measure their progress. Fan was also able to study how human cells interact with red light using a neighbor's lab. At the Regeneron competition, Fan faced two types of judging: scientific knowledge and reasoning tests, as well as project evaluation.

  • Fan competed in the Regeneron Science Talent Search finals in Washington, D.C. from March 5-8, 2026.
  • Fan won sixth place and an $80,000 scholarship at the competition on March 10, 2026.

The players

Leanne Fan

An 18-year-old senior at Westview High School in San Diego who created a device to simulate microgravity and study how red light can help heal wounds, in order to improve medical treatment for astronauts in space.

Regeneron Science Talent Search

A prestigious nationwide science competition for high school students, where Fan placed sixth and won an $80,000 scholarship.

Connor Hill

A Pennsylvania student who won the first-place $250,000 grand prize at the Regeneron Science Talent Search for discovering a way to identify all possible noble polyhedra.

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What they’re saying

“So they got a really good reaction pic from me.”

— Leanne Fan (San Diego Union-Tribune)

“The way they're phrased kind of ingrained it in my mind.”

— Leanne Fan (San Diego Union-Tribune)

“It makes me feel like I can be a lot more free and exploratory.”

— Leanne Fan (San Diego Union-Tribune)

What’s next

Fan is still deciding where she will attend college and what she will ultimately major in, though she is considering a career in medicine or an M.D.-Ph.D. program.

The takeaway

Fan's project highlights the growing importance of space medicine research as private companies and government agencies work to enable longer-duration human spaceflight. Her work could lead to new treatments and technologies to support the health of astronauts on future missions, and her success in the prestigious Regeneron competition demonstrates the talent and innovation of young scientists.