Dear Readers,
We are delighted to announce the publication of the eleventh edition of the Columbia Junior Science Journal (CJSJ). This marks over a decade of proudly offering a platform for original science research by the most curious and brilliant young minds. CJSJ began as a spin-off of the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal (CUSJ), an open-access, academically rigorous science journal committed to publishing research pushing the frontiers of scientific knowledge. Since its establishment in 2005, CUSJ has upheld a tradition of excellence, as each manuscript is thoroughly peer reviewed in multiple passes by the editorial board via a double-blind process. Recognizing the emergence of impressive science research at an even earlier age, CUSJ leadership created CJSJ in 2015 to provide high school students globally the opportunity to publish their research. Since then, CJSJ has grown to publish eleven volumes as of spring 2026, improving with each iteration.
This year, we are proud to present the work of ten exceptional high school researchers whose studies span multiple disciplines, including neurodegenerative diseases, biodiversity, ecosystems, zoology, environmental protection and engineering, mechanical engineering, microbiology, machine learning, and more. These students have dedicated years to conducting their research and months to refining it through our intense editorial process, conversing with our collegiate editors concentrating on academic fields in their papers’ domains. Together, we ensure their papers contribute to the furthering of scientific knowledge and greater community awareness.
We wish to express our deep gratitude to the Columbia Undergraduate Science Journal and its associated journals for their support in the publishing process. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our CJSJ editorial committee for their dedication, attention to detail, mentorship of our young authors, and love for scientific research. Lastly, we want to thank our ten authors for their outstanding scientific contributions and willingness to choose CJSJ as the avenue to share their research with the world.
As we celebrate this eleventh edition, we look forward to the continued growth of CJSJ and fostering the next generation of emerging scientists. We hope you enjoy this year’s publication, and it has been an honor serving as the 2025-2026 editors-in-chief of the Columbia Junior Science Journal.
Sincerely,
Anita Raj (Columbia Engineering ‘26)
Editor-in-Chief, Columbia Junior Science Journal
Joanna Lin (Columbia College ‘26)
Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Columbia Junior Science Journal