Youth Spotlight: Sreya Karup
For over 60 years, the annual Canada-Wide Science Fair (CSWF) has brought together Canada’s top young scientists for a week where they get the chance to showcase their research and innovations, compete for awards, and connect with peers who share their passion for discovery and innovation – About the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF)
The 2026 event was held in Edmonton, Alberta. CSCC sponsored a Gold Excellence Award (Senior). The winner of this award was Sreya Kurup, a Grade 12 student from Surrey, BC.
Her research project – Targeted Stress Modulation in S. aureus to Combat Resident Infections via Bioactive Hybrid Therapy – focuses on a combination treatment for staph infections that aims to work against bacterial resistance while minimizing side effects. Her project built upon research that earned her silver in last year’s CWSF, hypothesizing that combining beta acids from hop extract with antibiotics would reduce antimicrobial resistance and more effectively treat Staphylococcus aureus, compared to the individual effects of each treatment.
Sreya sent a letter to CSCC Head Office thanking CSCC for its generous support of the award:
“Thank you so much for selecting my project for the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists Award at the 2026 Canada Wide Science Fair. I feel very grateful and honestly really encouraged by this recognition.
My project looked at whether hop extract could help antibiotics work better against Staphylococcus aureus. I chose this topic because antibiotic resistance is becoming such a serious issue, and I wanted to explore whether something natural could support existing treatments. Through the project, I learned a lot about how bacteria adapt and how careful you need to be with experiments to make sure your results actually mean something.
CWSF was one of the best experiences I have had. I really enjoyed talking to judges and visitors at my booth, and I also liked learning from other students and their projects. It made me even more interested in continuing research in the future.
Thank you again for your support and for this award. It really means a lot to me.”