NAVS is proud to spotlight Matthew Shen, a recipient of the 2026 NAVS Humane Science Award at Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), whose innovative research demonstrates how computational technologies can help scientists study human biology in entirely new ways.
A senior at Saint Theresa of Lisieux Catholic High School in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Matthew developed a “Digital Embryo,” a computer-based framework designed to model the earliest stages of human development. His project explored why some embryos fail to develop during in vitro fertilization (IVF) and how researchers might better predict those outcomes in the future.
While many studies of human development rely on traditional experimental approaches, Matthew took a different path. Using advanced computational tools, he created a digital model capable of integrating complex biological data to simulate key developmental processes.
The project reflects a growing shift in science toward human-relevant technologies that allow researchers to study human biology directly. Rather than relying solely on trial-and-error experimentation, digital models like Matthew’s have the potential to help scientists explore important biological questions in a virtual environment, generating insights that can guide future research.
For Matthew, the project was motivated by a desire to better understand one of biology’s most complex challenges: how life develops from just a handful of cells.
After completing an earlier science fair project focused on Parkinson’s disease, he began searching for a problem that would push him further as a researcher. That search led him to embryology and eventually to the idea of creating a digital model of early development.
Matthew conducted the project under the mentorship of an assistant professor at Wilfrid Laurier University, collaborating to develop the Digital Embryo framework and explore new approaches to modeling early human development. The research was supported by the Digital Research Alliance of Canada’s high-performance computing infrastructure, which enabled the large-scale computational analyses required for the project.
That support helped transform an ambitious idea into an award-winning project recognized at Regeneron ISEF, the world’s largest international pre-college science competition.
Matthew believes digital technologies can play an important role in helping researchers better understand human development and improve outcomes for families undergoing IVF treatment.
“The whole premise of this model is to prevent failed IVF cycles and to just have a better understanding of human biology,” he said.
His project exemplifies the spirit of the NAVS Humane Science Award by demonstrating how innovative, human-relevant technologies can open new avenues for scientific discovery. By studying human development through computational modeling, Matthew’s work highlights the potential of emerging technologies to advance research in ways that are both scientifically sophisticated and directly relevant to human biology.
This fall, Matthew will attend the University of Pennsylvania, where he plans to study neuroscience or biology alongside finance. He also intends to continue developing the Digital Embryo project while exploring new opportunities in research and entrepreneurship.
As human-relevant technologies continue to reshape biomedical research, students like Matthew are helping lead the way. His work offers a glimpse of a future in which powerful computational tools can help answer some of science’s most complex questions while expanding the possibilities for humane, human-relevant research.
