Claire Jiang, an 18-year-old senior at Bergen County Academies in Hackensack, New Jersey, has received a $70,000 award after placing seventh in the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search. Her research focused on developing a laboratory cell model that could help scientists study juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), the most common form of arthritis affecting children.
Jiang's interest in the disease is connected to her own experience. She was diagnosed with JIA at the age of 9 after developing a fever, swollen joints and difficulty moving her elbow during a classroom exam in third grade. Her experience with the condition later led her to investigate the challenges researchers face when studying JIA and developing treatments for young patients.
