SciFest winner takes fourth place in biomedical engineering category at international science fair
SciFest STEM champion 2024, Maura Moore-McCune from The King’s Hospital School, Palmerstown in Co. Dublin, won fourth place in the biomedical engineering category at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).
She also won the Mawhiba Universal Enrichment Program award. Mawhiba is a non-profit foundation in Saudi Arabia which motivates young people around the world to explore innovative methods in diverse fields of study.
Regeneron ISEF, which ran from 10-16 May, is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, involving some 1,600 students from around 60 countries, regions and territories competing for a prize fund totalling almost $9 million. This year marked its 75th anniversary.
Moore-McCune secured her place at the international competition when she won the overall award at the SciFest 2024 National Final for her project A Device for Detecting Fast Moving Objects for Use by the Vision Impaired.
Moore-McCune, who is vision impaired, developed an app to detect fast-moving objects, so that vision impaired people can live safer and more independent lives. Two design approaches using machine learning were developed: a mobile app and smart glasses. The app uses image classification to warn users of fast-moving objects, while the glasses use a YOLOv8 model on OpenCV to estimate object speed.
Maura Moore-McCune said: “I’m incredibly grateful to have had the chance to attend and participate in Regeneron ISEF in Columbus, Ohio. It was an amazing experience to present my work and showcase my creativity on a global platform. After putting so much effort into my project, it was inspiring to connect with other students and see their incredible work. I’m sincerely thankful to my family, friends, teachers, and everyone at SciFest for their unwavering support throughout this journey.”
Sheila Porter, SciFest founder and CEO said: “We are all very proud of Maura on coming fourth place in The Biomedical Engineering category at Regeneron ISEF 2025 and for being a wonderful ambassador for Irish science on the world stage. Participating in Regeneron ISEF is a wonderful opportunity, and I know Maura has really enjoyed the experience. SciFest is all about encouraging a love of science, technology, engineering and maths among young people. Maura has developed a truly innovative project, and we are delighted that she has had the opportunity to bring it to an international audience. We wish her every success for the future.”
Supported by Intel Ireland, Boston Scientific, EirGrid, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, the Department of Education and Youth, and Research Ireland, SciFest is the largest, most inclusive all-island STEM fair programme for second-level students in Ireland. Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2026, SciFest is free to enter and open to everyone across the island of Ireland, regardless of background or circumstances. The most important focus for SciFest is the participation of students and fostering their interest in STEM in a fun and engaging way.
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