Gitanjali Rao is a 20-year-old inventor, aspiring scientist, author, speaker, and active promoter of STEM worldwide. She was recognized as America’s Top Young Scientist and received an EPA Presidential Award for her patented invention of an innovative lead contamination detection tool. Gitanjali is also the inventor of "Epione," a device for the early diagnosis of prescription opioid addiction using genetic engineering, and "Kindly," an anti-cyberbullying service utilizing AI and natural language processing.
In 2019, she was honored as one of Forbes "30 Under 30 in Science" for addressing the environmental issue of lead contamination. TIME named her a "Top Young Innovator" and "Kid of the Year" for her groundbreaking innovations and the STEM workshops she conducts globally. These workshops have inspired over 150,000 students across 55 countries in the last five years, and she has raised over $110,000 for maker spaces in refugee camps and rural science fairs.
Gitanjali is the author of Young Innovator's Guide to STEM, available in six languages, which guides students, educators, and teachers through a self-developed, prescriptive five-step innovation process. She also authored Young Innovator's Guide to Planning for Success, offering further insights into achieving and sustaining innovative endeavors.
In 2021, she was appointed as a UNICEF Youth Advocate for using science to solve social problems such as cyberbullying and developing solutions for environmental protection. She received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award in 2023 and the Martin Luther King Beloved Community Award in 2024 for her selfless service to students. In 2025, she was honored with the prestigious Stephen Hawking Junior Medal for Science Communications for inspiring millions of students worldwide.
She is currently a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.