Science Philanthropy Alliance reposted this
Branding and Strategic Communications Professional--Always Learning, Always Contributing, Always Creating
Read about an amazing young research scientist, who is only 15 years old and already contributing to discovery science! His invention is pure genius!
Meet Heman Bekele. Time just named him "Kid of the Year" after he invented a bar of soap that can treat #skincancer. He’s 15. A gift of a chemistry set when he was 7 started him down his path. After his family immigrated to America, he noticed that back home in Ethiopia people would work long hours outdoors under dangerous UV rays, without any protective covering. That made him curious about skin #cancer. At 14 years old, he developed a bar of soap that has nanoparticles containing a drug called imiquimod, which is approved to treat some forms of cancer. His soap helps ensure that the drug stays on the skin at a "very molecular level" even when the soap is washed off. Rather than making millions, Heman’s soap costs just 50 cents, and he’s opening a nonprofit to distribute it to communities in need. When he's not attending high school, he does research at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. Immigrants are America and #diversity is our strength. #immigration #innovation #entrepreneur
