Myra Saxena, an 11-year-old from Palo Alto, has made significant strides in paediatric Type 2 diabetes research using artificial intelligence, gaining national awards and a nomination for the prestigious Junior Innovators Challenge.
Myra Saxena, an 11-year-old Indian-American seventh-grader in Palo Alto, has emerged as one of the most accomplished young science students in her district, with research on paediatric Type 2 diabetes carrying her from local fairs to a national STEM competition. According to the American Bazaar report, Saxena has been nominated for the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, a Society for Science programme for middle school researchers in the US.
Her work focuses on earlier detection and prevention of paediatric Type 2 diabetes through artificial intelligence, machine learning and wearable technology. That research has already brought substantial recognition. Saxena won the Isabelle Stone Grand Prize at the Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and Technology Championship, along with a first-place category award and a special honour from the Association for Computing Machinery. She also placed third in Medicine and Physiology at the California Science and Engineering Fair, competing against older students from across the state.
The project has also reached beyond school competitions. Her paper, “A Novel Approach for Early Detection of Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes using Low-cost Blood Biomarkers,” has been accepted for presentation at the 2026 IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference, an international forum for researchers and clinicians. The Junior Innovators Challenge itself is a selective national contest for students in 6th through 8th grade, with finalists due to be announced later in 2026, according to Society for Science and the competition organisers.
Saxena’s interest in diabetes research is personal. The American Bazaar said she was inspired in part by the death of her grandfather from the disease. She began coding at 8 and later built “Healthy Littles powered by SmartGenes”, an app and wearable technology project aimed at reducing diabetes risk in children. That work took her to the Invention Convention U.S. Nationals, where she finished second and was the only student from her school district chosen to compete nationally.
Outside science, Saxena is also a youth entrepreneur, TEDxYouth speaker and competitive ballet dancer. She founded Sparklez, a non-profit initiative she calls a “platform built by Kids for Kids”, to support children in underserved communities. Saxena has said, “Never give up, even if people tell you that you can’t do it or you’re too young.” For now, her ambitions are already spanning classrooms, research labs and public stages, with a body of work that has placed her among the most closely watched young innovators in the region.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
