Eighteenth Annual European DNA Day Essay Contest for High School Students
The Winners have been selected!
The European Society of Human Genetics was delighted that students from 35 European countries submitted 385 essays and 22 videos this year. The evaluation was made involving 54 experts in the field, who selected the following 3 winners in each category and a total of 8 honourable mentions over both categories.
The names of the winners have been announced in front of more than 4.000 international scientists and doctors attending the European Human Genetics Conference in Gothenburg on June 16, 2026.
Winners, commendation as well as honourable mentions will receive a diploma. Acknowledgements will be sent to all submitters.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 DNA Day Essay contest!
1st Place
Heja Tasli
School: The Koc School, Diyarbakir, Turkey Essay Title: Sequenced, Searched, Suspected
2nd Place
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Vishnu Malladi Teacher: Sheela Reddypogu School: Oakridge International School, Hyderabad, India Essay Title: The Witness That Cannot Be Cross-Examined |
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3rd Place
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Raisa Khan Teacher: James Hyder School: Cheltenham Ladies’ College, United Kingdom Essay Title: The Genome in the Courtroom: Ethics and Limits of Forensic DNA |
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2026 Video Contest
1st Place |
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| Marco Gomes
Teacher: Russell Long School: Mount Hebron High School, Ellicott City, US Video Title: Genetic Information in the Legal System: The Balance Between Genetic Privacy and Justice |
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2nd Place |
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Sude Nas Teacher: Valentina Stanescu School: Maarif International Schools of Bucharest, Romania Video Title: DNA Evidence: The Most Powerful Proof or the Most Dangerous? |
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3rd Place |
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Zaineb Zouaoui Teacher: Tanja Kolarov School: Gems International School, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Video Title: The power of DNA in the legal system |
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Congratulations to the Honorable Mentions
Honourable Mentions Essay Contest (in alphabetical order)
| Tuana Aktaş
Teacher: Nurbanu Sanli School: Doğa Koleji Şişli Bomonti Kampüsü, İstanbul, Turkey Essay Title: The Human Cost of Genetic Justice: Beyond the DNA Blueprint |
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| Varun Krishnan
School: South Brunswick, US Essay Title: How Genetic Information Should Be Utilized in the Legal System |
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| Antoni Mikolajczyk
Teacher: Katarzyna Zaremba School: Batory High School, Warsaw, Poland Essay Title: DNA is its own legislator |
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| Carla Monté
Teacher: Marga Sihuro School: La Vall, Bellaterra, Spain Essay Title: A Sequence of Numbers |
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| Rohan Vaz
School: Johns Creek High School, US Essay Title: Genes and Justice: How Genetic Information Should, and Should Not Serve the Law |
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Honourable Mentions Video Contest (in alphabetical order)
| Melissa Dalbaşı
Teacher: Feride Tüysüz School: Özel İzmir Bilfen Lisesi, İZMİR, Turkey Video Title: Genetic Minority Report w/o Tom Cruise |
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| An Doan
School: St Johnsbury Academy, US Video Title: The Role of Genetic Information in the Legal System |
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| Naqiya Hirani
Teacher: Kristina Lestik School: Round Rock High School, US Video Title: Fingerprint, Time Machine, Family Tree: How DNA Shapes the Courtroom |
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Prizes
First Place Winner: EUR 400.- In addition, sponsoring teachers of first place students will receive EUR 1.000.- to organise a science project or to purchase classroom equipment.
Second Place Winner: EUR 300.- In addition, sponsoring teachers of first place students will receive EUR 800.- to organise a science project or to purchase classroom equipment
Special Commendation by the Jury: EUR 200.- In addition, sponsoring teachers of first place students will receive EUR 500.- to organise a science project or to purchase classroom equipment
All participants will receive a certificate of appreciation for their participation in the contest.
Question 2026
‘Genes and Justice: How Should Genetic Information Be Used in the Legal System? Explore the use of DNA in forensics, ancestry-based surveillance, genetic privacy rights, and the potential risks of misusing genetic data in legal or criminal contexts.‘
