Antariksha Sharma, a senior at Maharishi School in Fairfield, has been named a 2026 National STEM Champion—one of only two students selected from the state of Iowa. Through the National STEM Festival, Sharma has earned the opportunity to present her research in Washington, D.C. this June, with all expenses paid.
Her project, titled “Detecting Alzheimer’s from a Teardrop,” tackles one of medicine’s most pressing challenges. Alzheimer’s disease affects 55 million people worldwide, yet early detection currently requires expensive brain scans or painful spinal fluid collection, putting diagnosis out of reach for millions of patients, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Sharma set out to change that.
Working across 14 trials, she built a colorimetric lateral flow assay—a simple strip test similar in concept to a home pregnancy test or COVID test—that detects Alzheimer’s-linked proteins known as Tau in human tears. Rather than using traditional antibodies, she utilized molecularly imprinted polymers, a more stable and cost-effective alternative. Serial dilution testing confirmed that the assay was detecting the target protein in concentrations similar to those of Tau found in human tears.
The results are striking. Her device is up to 96% cheaper than current diagnostic methods, requires no specialized equipment or highly trained personnel, and could be used as a point-of-care test anywhere in the world. The research is still in its early stages, but Sharma describes it as laying the groundwork for a non-invasive, accessible diagnostic tool that could give patients and families something priceless—more time together.
“I hope to show this prototype and share the recent developments of my project with both the general public and maybe even future collaborators,” Sharma said, “to give thousands of people a precious gift—time with their families.”
Sharma’s recognition as a National STEM Champion comes on the heels of an impressive showing at the Eastern Iowa Science and Engineering Fair, where she earned the Regeneron Biomedical Sciences Award, the U.S. Air Force Award, and the Senior Champion title—a remarkable achievement that also marked her seventh year as an EISEF participant.
She was not the only Maharishi School student to shine at the Eastern Iowa Science and Engineering Fair. Kostiantyn Vorobets received the Ricoh Corporation Award, Kyran Wallace and Vangyi Zhong each earned U.S. Navy Awards, Sohni Singh received Senior Biological recognition, Huy Le earned an Honorable Mention in Senior Biological, Oliver Siemsen was recognized for Inspiring Excellence, and Ken Luu received the IEEE Award along with an Honorable Mention in Senior Physical.
Information and photography courtesy of Maharishi School Iowa.
