Who is Heman Bekele?

Heman Bekele, a 15-year-old scientist, is Time’s “2024 Kid of the Year,” honored for his work on a cancer-fighting soap. Time magazine and Time for Kids have chosen Bekele who won a $25,000 prize from 3M for his research.

Bekele was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia but came to Annandale, Virginia in the United States with family members when he was only four.

He got inspiration from his childhood memories of labourers who worked under the harsh sun and found a way to protect people from skin damage.

Heman Bekele learned a drug that can be used to find skin cancer and planned it as a key ingredient of a worldwide accessible and affordable soap.

The 3M Young Scientist Challenge draw attention to his innovative idea of using lipid-based nanoparticles to deliver the drug through soap. He was awarded $25,000 in 2023.

To develop his skin-cancer-fighting soap, Heman is collaborating with Vito Rebecca, a molecular biologist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Heman participates in the marching band of Woodson High School behind his scientific endeavor. He enjoys basketball, plays chess and reads voraciously.

The young scientist attributes his success to the support of mentors and his family, especially Deborah Isabelle and his parents, from the 3M Young Scientist challenge.

Time in a statement announced on Thursday that Heman could change how we treat skin cancer.

Bekele told Time that it is completely unbelievable to think that one day his soap will be able to make a direct impact on the life of anyone.

The magazine said in a news release that after Heman created a soap, he was selected. His invented soap could be a “more accessible way to deliver medication to treat skin cancers, including melanoma.

Discovery Education and 3M in 2023 named Bekele US Top Young Scientist. Bekele also won a $25,000 cash prize after he competed against nine other finalists at the age of 14.