Pine Mountain Club Student Named One of Nation’s Top Young Researchers

While her family cheered on the New Year’s Eve ball drop from home, Peak to Peak Mountain Charter School student Alekha Goldberg spent the commercial breaks precision-testing fruit flies, driven by a personal mission to solve the brain injury that nearly stole her brother’s life. Her interest is now taking the middle school student to the nation’s capital as one of the top 30 young scientists in the country.

Alekha Goldberg was selected as a Top 30 national finalist for the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge. She and two other Kern County students placed in the Top 300 of the national competition through the Kern County Regional Science Fair, where their projects earned first-place honors.

In October, Alekha will head to Washington, D.C., where she will put her critical thinking, creativity and STEM skills to the test for a share of more than $100,000 in prizes, including the $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND Award.

Organized by the Society for Science, the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge is considered the nation’s premier STEM research competition for middle school students. The competition reaches approximately 60,000 students each year through affiliated science fairs nationwide.

In September 2025, Alekha set out to tackle secondary traumatic brain injury through her project, “Blue-reka! Investigating Methylene Blue as a Neuroprotectant for Traumatic Brain Injury Using a Novel In Vivo Drosophila Model.”

Unlike the immediate trauma of a blow to the head, secondary traumatic brain injury quietly unfolds over time after the initial impact, leading to severe, delayed neurological harm. “Blue-reka” tested whether the neuroprotective medication Methylene blue could help relieve its effects.

Alekha administered different doses of the medication to 350 fruit flies in vials before subjecting them to a simulated high-speed collision using a high-impact trauma device. She then measured the fruit flies’ climbing ability and 24-hour survival. The results showed Methylene blue boosted recovery, with the highest-dose group climbing the highest and boasting the greatest survival rate.

Her close connection to her brother influenced her study of traumatic brain injuries. Her brother was randomly assaulted in Washington, D.C., after a man ran up behind him and struck him to the pavement, causing his head to hit the ground with immense force. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and was hospitalized as a result.

“That was a big experience for our family, and obviously made an impression on Alekha,” said Rageshwar Goldberg, Alekha’s mother. “Our son is fine, but it did take a lot of time and a lot of healing, and it wasn’t easy. She had a really up-close and personal experience seeing this.”

As Alekha researched, she learned that many veterans and military service members suffer similar brain trauma. This further piqued her interest in researching the brain, particularly because her family includes multiple service members.

“For her, it really became personal, like a mission,” Rageshwar Goldberg said, recalling the amount of time her daughter spent conducting her experiment.

“She was watching the New Year’s TV shows and, at the same time, she was there striking her flies and taking her observations,” Rageshwar Goldberg explained. “She would take a little dance break with the music that was playing, and then she’d go back to it.”

The family was surprised and thrilled when Alekha was named a national finalist. Rageshwar Goldberg received a call after hours from the Society for Science, and Alekha excitedly called the organization back.

“Her eyes grew to half the size of her head, and there was just silence,” Rageshwar Goldberg said. “I think all of us were in a state of shock for about 24 hours.”

As Alekha prepares for Washington, D.C., she will have her family, along with science fair mentors and friends, cheering her on, including Michelle Roy, Science Coordinator at KCSOS.

“Over the past few years, we’ve seen her grow not only as a young scientist, but also in her confidence, curiosity and ability to share her ideas,” Roy said.

Alekha is not shy about sharing her love for science competitions, including the Kern County Science Fair. Her family said she looks forward to each competition.

“What makes me happiest is hearing that she loves coming to the Science Fair because she gets to make friends,” Roy said. “That is exactly the kind of community we hope to create—one where students can pursue their curiosity, celebrate their ideas and find their people. We are so proud of Alekha and excited to see where her curiosity takes her next!”