At 11, Indian-American Myra Saxena shines as Scientist, Inventor and Entrepreneur

### 11-Year-Old Indian-American Scientist Myra Saxena Gains National Recognition for Diabetes Research

At just 11 years old, Indian-American student Myra Saxena is gaining national attention for her work as a young scientist, inventor and entrepreneur. A seventh-grader at Ellen Fletcher Middle School in Palo Alto, California, Saxena has been nominated for the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge. The prestigious competition, organized by the Society for Science, recognizes outstanding middle school students conducting innovative STEM research. Saxena’s nomination follows a remarkable year of achievements focused on the early detection and prevention of pediatric Type 2 diabetes. Her research combines artificial intelligence, machine learning, wearable technology and low-cost health monitoring approaches. Her work earned the Isabelle Stone Grand Prize at the Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and Technology Championship. Saxena was reportedly the only middle school student from the Palo Alto Unified School District to receive the top honor. She also won first place in her category and received a special award from the Association for Computing Machinery for her work involving artificial intelligence and machine learning. Her research continued to gain recognition at the California Science and Engineering Fair, where she secured third place in the Medicine and Physiology category. The competition brought together students from across California, including older middle school participants. Saxena’s work has also attracted international attention through her research paper titled “A Novel Approach for Early Detection of Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes using Low-cost Blood Biomarkers.” The paper was accepted for presentation at the 2026 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference, an international gathering of researchers, engineers and medical professionals. Her interest in diabetes research is also connected to a personal experience. Saxena lost her grandfather to diabetes, helping motivate her to explore ways technology could support earlier risk detection and healthier outcomes for children. Her journey into technology began when she started learning to code at the age of eight. As a fifth-grader, she created “Healthy Littles powered by SmartGenes,” an app and wearable technology project designed to identify and reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes among children. The invention took her to the RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals, where she won second place. She was also the only student from her school district selected to compete at the national level. The project later earned first place in the World Series of Innovation Challenge. What began as a childhood interest in coding and invention has since developed into independent research combining AI, machine learning, biomarkers and health technology. Saxena has also developed a strong entrepreneurial and community-service profile outside the laboratory. She is the founder and “Chief Sparklez Officer” of Sparklez, a nonprofit initiative launched in 2021 to support children in underserved communities. The idea began after Saxena, then six years old, learned about a school for blind girls in India through videos brought home by her mother, Sweta Sinha. Inspired to help, she turned one of her favorite hobbies, jewelry making, into a fundraising effort. Saxena began creating and selling handmade charm jewelry at business fairs, farmers markets and holiday events. The proceeds have supported projects benefiting children in both the United States and India. Through Sparklez, she hopes to empower children through healthy living and access to quality education. Her initiative is built around the idea of creating a platform “by Kids for Kids.” Born in Virginia, Saxena spent her early childhood in Ashburn, Virginia, before moving to California with her parents and younger sister at age eight. Her interests extend beyond science, technology and entrepreneurship. She has also participated as a TEDxYouth speaker, served as a youth ambassador for children’s initiatives and competes in ballet. Despite her growing list of awards, Saxena continues to emphasize persistence and confidence among young students. She encourages children not to give up simply because others believe they are too young or incapable of achieving their goals. Her rapid progression from learning to code at eight to presenting biomedical research internationally has made her an emerging young voice in science and innovation. As she enters seventh grade, Saxena is continuing to develop her research while pursuing new opportunities in health technology and STEM. Her journey has already taken her from a middle school classroom to state science competitions, national invention contests and an international biomedical engineering conference. With her work combining technology, scientific research and social impact, the young innovator is demonstrating how early curiosity can develop into meaningful contributions to science and the wider community.