August 16, 2024
Teen Scientist Named TIME’s 2024 Kid Of The Year For Inventing Potential Cancer Treating Body Soap
Get to know the Black Virginia teen who won $25,000 for inventing a soap that could one day treat skin cancer.
The Black Virginia teen who won $25,000 for inventing a soap that could one day treat and prevent multiple forms of skin cancer has been named TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year. Fifteen-year-old Heman Bekele is taking his passion for chemistry and mixing particles to new heights through his natural interest in skin cancer.
In the last year, Bekele has won $25,000 from the Young Scientist Challenge, secured mentorship and access to a state-of-the-art lab at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, and is on the cover of TIME magazine thanks to his development of a compound-based bar of soap designed to treat skin cancer.
“I’m really passionate about skin cancer research,” he says, “whether it’s my own research or what’s happening in the field. It’s absolutely incredible to think that one day, my bar of soap will be able to make a direct impact on somebody else’s life. That’s the reason I started this all in the first place.”
During his early childhood in Ethiopia, Bekele became aware of the importance of skin protection. He saw laborers working under the scorching sun, often without any protection for their skin. His parents taught him and his sisters about the dangers of spending too much time outdoors without sunscreen or proper clothing.
“When I was younger, I didn’t think much of it, but when I came to America, I realized what a big problem the sun and ultraviolet radiation is when you’re exposed to it for a long time,” Heman recalls.
After learning about the skin cancer-treating drug imiquimod, the 10th-grader at Woodson High School in Fairfax County, Virginia, thought to invent a new, more accessible form of the substance. Instead of the cream that typically comes as part of a $40,000 and up skin cancer treatment, Bekele had the idea of turning the drug into a product we use daily.
“What is one thing that is an internationally impactful idea, something that everyone can use, [regardless of] socioeconomic class?” Heman recalls thinking. “Almost everyone uses soap and water for cleaning. So soap would probably be the best option.”
He presented his idea at the 3M challenge, where he won a $25,000 prize to advance his research. Shortly afterward, he connected with Vito Rebecca, a molecular biologist and assistant professor at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, who provided him access to an advanced lab to help turn his cancer-treating soap into a reality.
Now, as he continues his research, Bekele is focused on getting his soap patented and FDA-certified. It could take at least a decade, but the high school teen remains hopeful about the life-changing development he could introduce.
“A lot of people have this mindset that everything’s been done, there’s nothing left for me to do,” Bekele says. “To anybody having that thought, [I’d say] we’ll never run out of ideas in this world of skin cancer. Just keep inventing. Keep thinking of new ways to improve our world and keep making it a better place.”
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