Eighteen-year-old Evan Morris of Saint Paul, Minnesota, has developed a low-cost experimental system that could offer researchers a faster way to study how brain stimulation might control seizures. His project, called SILENCE: On-demand seizure suppression via closed-loop sonogenetics, uses genetically modified worms, a computer-controlled detection system and ultrasound to identify and interrupt seizure-like activity. According to the Society for Science, which presents the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) awards, Morris received the $10,000 Mary Sue Coleman Award for Life Science Innovation & Impact in 2026 for the project. In his experiments, the system reduced seizure recurrence by 70.1% and lowered overall seizure activity by nearly 30%.
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