Medicine Hat students honoured after showcasing award-winning research at national science fair

“We got to go on a few different tours and explore a little bit, and also surrounded by people who are really interested in science and STEM in general, which is really inspiring to be around,” Zainab Riaz said.

Zainab Riaz presented research focused on data anonymization in healthcare, saying the goal was to improve the protection of sensitive patient information, particularly in time-series medical data such as hospital visits and health records.

Her work looked at how patterns in repeated patient interactions over time could still unintentionally reveal identities even when obvious personal identifiers were removed, and emphasized the need for stronger methods that balance data usefulness for research with patient privacy protections.

She told the audience the fair’s experience reinforced both her technical growth and her interest in expanding access to research opportunities for young women in STEM.

“I had to teach myself how to code because I had no coding experience beforehand, but it was super valuable, and it was just a really interesting project,” Zainab Riaz said.

“I’m a lot better, I’m more well-spoken, and I would say I have so much more understanding of science as a whole [than] just health care,” she added.

“What I want to give away is that more people should get involved in computer science, especially females.”

Zainab Riaz emphasized the value of learning over performance alone.

“Regardless of what field it’s in, [it’s] really important, maybe you don’t answer every question correctly, maybe you don’t know the answer, but having the skills to try to figure out how to approach the problem is so much more valuable,” Zainab Riaz said.

She also described the judging experience as unexpectedly engaging.

“It was almost like interaction more than just judging,” Zainab Riaz said.

On the broader experience, Hania Riaz, a Grade 7 student at Notre Dame Academy, said the fair helped her keep perspective.

“It’s still a competition, but you can do it still for the love of science. It’s more like a community,” Hania Riaz said.

Hania Riaz, who focused her project on biofuels, tested Alberta crops to determine which could produce the most ethanol under different pre-treatment methods.

According to Hania Riaz’s research, wheat and barley showed strong potential when enzymatic processing was used.

During a question-and-answer session following the presentation, Hania Riaz explained biofuels as renewable energy made from plant material, while Zainab Riaz added context on how Alberta-grown crops could play a role in future energy transition discussions.

Hania Riaz went on to outline how different pre-treatment methods, ranging from no treatment to thermal processing and enzymatic use of alpha amylase, affected ethanol production, noting that variations in sugar composition among crops like wheat and barley played a key role in how efficiently they could be converted into usable fuel.

Kiwanis representatives praised the students’ work and highlighted the importance of local sponsorship in helping students from southern Alberta access national-level competition.

The sisters also acknowledged McFarlane and the Praxis Science Outreach Society for accompanying them to Edmonton and providing steady support throughout the week, particularly during long judging days and presentations.

In closing remarks at the Kiwanis presentation, both sisters thanked the club for its ongoing support of student research opportunities in the region.

by Jett Schwaier

Medicine Hat students honoured after showcasing award-winning research at national science fair

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