Tuesday 10 de November, 2026
Sofía Acevedo, a student at the Bicentennial Industrial High School Benjamín Dávila Larraín of Renca (SOFOFA High School), won first place in the High School category at the 11th National ExpoCiencias 2026. Her research, conducted under the supervision of Dr. Jessica Bravo, professor and head of the Bioactive Natural Products Laboratory at the UDP Faculty of Medicine, was selected to participate in GENIUS Olympiad 2027.
A study on the antifungal potential of canelo (Drimys winteri), a native tree species from southern Chile, led Sofía Acevedo to win first place in the High School category at the 11th National ExpoCiencias 2026. At the event, she presented the results of a project developed at the Bioactive Natural Products Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine at Diego Portales University.
The project, entitled “Native Flora of Southern Chile as a Source of New Antifungal Agents: Drimys winteri,” was supervised by Dr. Jessica Bravo, Director of the Biomedical Research Center (CIB) and leader of the laboratory. The study evaluated the ability of canelo essential oil to inhibit the growth of Pichia kudriavzevii, a yeast associated with cases of bovine mastitis. In in vitro assays, the essential oil inhibited the growth of the isolates tested, a result that opens new possibilities for investigating the compounds responsible for this activity and their potential application in veterinary medicine.
Sofía joined the laboratory through her school’s Dual Education Program at SOFOFA High School, which enabled her to become part of a university research team and contribute to the development of a scientific project while still a high school student.
Throughout this experience, she received guidance and support from members of the Bioactive Natural Products Laboratory, including Nicole Rojas, Antonia Díaz, María Paz Barraza, and Victoria Rubina, who shared their expertise and assisted in the development of the research.
The recognition earned at National ExpoCiencias also opened a new opportunity for Sofía: the project was selected to participate in GENIUS Olympiad 2027, an international competition that will take place from June 7 to 12 at St. John Fisher University in Rochester, New York, where she will have the opportunity to represent Chile.
This achievement highlights the value of creating collaborative opportunities between technical-vocational education and university research, bringing science closer to new generations and encouraging high school students to engage in scientific experiences and research activities.
