At just 15 years old, Heman Bekele — a Virginia-based teenager originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia has been honoured as TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year for developing a groundbreaking soap that could help prevent and treat skin cancer, especially melanoma, using advanced lipid nanoparticle delivery technology. Bekele’s invention a specially formulated bar of soap known as Skin Cancer Treating Soap (SCTS) uses lipid-based nanoparticles to deliver cancer-fighting compounds directly to the skin, potentially enhancing the body’s natural immune response against melanoma cells and making treatment more accessible and affordable.
His journey into scientific innovation began with a deep-rooted personal motivation: childhood memories of workers exposed to harsh sun in Ethiopia inspired him to find a low-cost solution to fight skin damage and cancer. Bekele’s invention went on to win the 2023 3M Young Scientist Challenge, earning him a $25,000 prize and mentorship that helped refine his idea. Since then, Bekele has continued to advance his research, working in laboratories such as the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, filing for patents, and conducting early testing while balancing school, extracurricular activities like band and chess, and his scientific ambitions.
TIME recognised Heman’s achievements not just for their scientific promise but for the compassion and vision behind them, spotlighting him as a young leader whose innovation could one day transform public health outcomes worldwide. Bekele plans to pursue further research, seek regulatory approval for his soap, and build a nonprofit to distribute his technology globally, aiming to make cancer-fighting tools available to underserved communities.
