Words by Tara Pollock, Director of Marketing and Communications
Academy at the Lakes proudly announces that senior Darren Lau has been named a 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS) Scholar, placing him among the top 300 high school scientists in the nation in the country’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition.
Administered by Society for Science, the Regeneron Science Talent Search provides a national stage for students to present original, independent research and celebrates young innovators tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges. This year, more than 2,600 students from 826 high schools across 46 states, Washington, D.C., U.S. territories, and 16 countries applied. Darren was selected as one of just 300 scholars worldwide, representing 203 schools across 34 states, Washington, D.C., and China. Each scholar and their school receive a $2,000 award.
“Congratulations to the top 300 scholars in this year’s Regeneron Science Talent Search,” said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of Society for Science and Publisher of Science News. “Their research highlights the creativity, rigor, and determination that’s pushing forward the future of scientific discovery. We are honored to recognize their achievements and support their continued pursuit of STEM excellence.”
Darren’s project, titled “AuRING: A Novel Augmented Reality Intraoperative Neurosurgical System Using a Dual Discriminator Bayesian-Structural Similarity Generative Adversarial Network (D2BS2GAN) for Real-Time Brain Shift Compensation,” addresses a major challenge in neurological surgery: brain shift, which can make tumor localization difficult once surgery begins.
Inspired by a close friend who underwent brain surgery, Darren developed a system that combines artificial intelligence and augmented reality to help surgeons locate tumors with greater accuracy and speed. His innovation features augmented reality glasses, which Darren hopes to patent, designed to support real-time surgical decision-making and help surgeons maintain precise tumor localization throughout procedures.
“Darren Lau is most certainly a brilliant, creative, and accomplished student. But he is much more than that,” said Mark Heller, Head of School at Academy at the Lakes. “He is held in the highest esteem by his fellow students and by all members of our school community because of his leadership abilities, his warmth, his self-effacing humor, and his generous spirit. His potential knows no bounds.”
Scholars were selected based on outstanding research, leadership, community involvement, commitment to academics, creativity in asking scientific questions, and exceptional promise as future STEM leaders, demonstrated through the submission of original research projects, essays, and recommendations. This year’s projects span 20 scientific categories, with the most represented fields including Medicine and Health, Computer Science, Engineering, Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, and Cellular and Molecular Biology.
“We are inspired by this year’s scholars for their remarkable projects and drive to use the power of STEM to improve the world around them,” said Christina Chan, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Citizenship at Regeneron. “We congratulate the scholars on their achievement and look forward to seeing what each of their futures hold.”
Darren’s Regeneron STS recognition builds on an already exceptional year. In 2025, he earned first place at the Invention Convention U.S. Nationals, along with the RTX Connectivity Special Award. Earlier in the year, he also won first place in Biomedical Engineering and Best Presentation at Invention Convention Florida.
Now in its 85th year, the Science Talent Search continues its legacy of identifying and supporting the next generation of scientific leaders. Society for Science, now in its 104th year, remains dedicated to advancing public understanding of science and championing students driven to make the world better through discovery and innovation.
What’s Next — Regeneron Science Talent Search 2026
Top 40 Finalists Announced: January 21, 2026
Regeneron STS Finals Week: March 5–11, 2026
Public Exhibition of Projects: March 8, 2026
Winners Announced: March 10, 2026
Academy at the Lakes congratulates Darren Lau on this extraordinary achievement and looks forward to the continued impact of his work in science and medicine.
