Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts senior Luis Vidal Jr. has been named a 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search Scholar, the school announced.

The Regeneron Science Talent Search is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science research competition for high school students, a news release said. Sponsored by the Society for Science, the program recognizes students whose research shows exceptional promise in addressing major scientific and societal challenges.

Vidal, of Fort Smith, was selected as one of 300 scholars from a pool of 2,612 entrants representing 826 U.S. and international high schools, it said. He was one of three students from Arkansas to receive the honor. Each scholar receives a $2,000 award, and their school receives a matching prize.

Vidal was recognized for his project, “Designing Substrates to Test HELB as a Potential Therapeutic Agent Against Glioma and Colon Adenocarcinoma.” HELB, or helicase B, is an enzyme that helps maintain DNA stability and regulate the cell cycle, Vidal said in the release.

Excess levels of HELB have been linked to lower survival rates in colon and brain cancer patients. His research explored methods to inhibit HELB production that could contribute to future anti-cancer drug development.

“It just feels unreal seeing all my hard work and sacrifice paying off,” Vidal said. “However, it is more than an award. I get to join the community of future STEM leaders and trailblazers who have previous and are currently developing novel research to tackle global challenges.”

Vidal conducted his research in the laboratory of Dr. Alicia K. Byrd, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Byrd said Vidal’s work helped her team identify an effective substrate for measuring enzyme activity.

“Luis’ work enabled us to develop a high-throughput assay to identify enzyme inhibitors that could potentially be used to improve cancer therapy,” Byrd said in the release.

“Luis was fun to have in the lab because he is incredibly enthusiastic and curious. Through hard work and persistence, he collected a lot of data using different substrates that helped us optimize the substrate in our assays. I’m excited that Luis was recognized by the Regeneron Science Talent Search for his hard work.”

Vidal said his experience at UAMS gave him a realistic view of research while helping him build strong mentor relationships.

“UAMS opened so many doors to what I could have accomplished,” he said. “UAMS has so many labs and resources to do multiple great things. The techniques that you learn (at UAMS) and learn here at ASMSA are not much different, but the resources you have there are crazy.”

At ASMSA, Vidal was advised by Whitney Holden and Patrycja Krakowiak, both Life Sciences Instructors of Excellence. Holden said Vidal consistently approached setbacks with optimism.

“Instead of stress, anxiety or disappointment, he was smiling each time! He never let those times where things weren’t going according to plan faze him at all. Rather, he pushed forward through the challenge with a smile (literally!) on his face the whole time,” Holden said in the release.

Holden said Vidal arranged his class schedule during the Spring 2025 semester to spend three full days a week at UAMS and remained on ASMSA’s campus over the summer to reduce travel time. He also received a Murphy USA Summer Research Fellowship through the ASMSA Foundation Fund, allowing him to focus on research full time, it said.

“Both of these were absolutely essential because they made it possible for Luis to spend 40-plus hours a week at UAMS all summer. ASMSA has supported many students over the years in helping them access summer opportunities that would otherwise not have been possible,” Holden said.

While the recognition affirmed his work, Vidal said the greatest reward is the potential impact of his research.

“It feels great knowing my research could potentially help many others. My lab is one of a few labs in the world who study HELB, so everything we do is paving the way for the future,” he said.