Raneem’s love for science started early. “I grew up constantly asking questions. I wanted to understand everything,” she recalls. Encouraged by her father, she entered her first science fair with a theoretical project on cancer immunotherapy. That experience lit a fire in her — a desire to actively engage in scientific exploration. But it was a personal experience at a summer STEM camp that defined her direction. She witnessed a friend suffer a stroke. “This traumatizing event made me want to understand strokes,” she explains. And that decision led her to research the impact of exposure to statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs) on brain stem cells, using zebrafish as a model. Through her research, she hopes to uncover how statins could contribute to brain hemorrhages and how the brain initiates repair in the aftermath.
Finding a home for her ideas at uOttawa
Determined to turn her questions into real research, Raneem took initiative and reached out to several labs before finding a match at uOttawa. She was especially interested in Professor Marc Ekker’s lab, which studies new neuron formation and rare neurological conditions in zebrafish — the very topics that had captured her interest. “I was absolutely ecstatic when I received an email from Professor Marc Ekker agreeing to help me pursue my research,” she says. Professor Ekker welcomed her into his lab, and with the support of lab technician Vishal Saxena, Raneem dove into the world of fluorescence imaging, learning to track neural progenitor cells and analyze regeneration patterns in zebrafish embryos.
From local fairs to the international spotlight
Raneem’s hard work paid off. At just 16 years old and in Grade 11, she won first prize in the senior category at the Ottawa Regional Science Fair, along with special recognition from the uOttawa Faculty of Medicine. This victory propelled her to the national science fair and then to the London International Youth Science Forum, where she presented her research to an audience of Nobel laureates, global researchers and peers from 92 countries.
Standing in the Royal Geographical Society headquarters, surrounded by passionate young scientists, Raneem understood the importance of conveying her research to a broader audience. “It was validating to see so many people engaged with my project,” she says.
Breaking barriers and inspiring others
Raneem’s journey is also a testament to uOttawa’s openness to young scientists. As Ekker explains, “By welcoming high school students into our labs, we’re helping to nurture the next generation of innovators, regardless of their background.”
Raneem’s story is far from over. She has been selected to represent Canada at the Expo-Sciences International 2025 in Abu Dhabi, organized by the International Movement for Leisure Activities in Science and Technology (MILSET). As she prepares for this next adventure, she hopes her story will inspire other young scientists to take initiative, reach out and turn their curiosity into action.
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