Oregon High School Grad Ekansh Mittal’s Cancer Research Earns National Award

Westview High School’s 2024 graduate, Ekansh Mittal- one of the 15 winners of the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes in 2024, has a passion for research and biology that has been driving him toward a career in the complex field of computational biology research since the sixth grade.

Portland Teenager Wins Young Hero Award

18 years old Ekansh Mittal pitched his first research project to a local lab as a sixth grader at Meadow Park Middle School and has been building an impressive track record of scientific experience ever since.

His first pitch was a series of experiments testing whether natural herbs and spices could inhibit bacterial growth. Mittal said, “I fell in love with biology and research.”

Focussing on early detection, Mittal’s previous exploration into alternative screening methods for cancer led him to identify types of bacteria sometimes found in cancer patients. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also learned Python, a programming language, and added computational biology projects to his schedule.

For the Barron Prize, Mittal’s work was split into two parts:

• Machine learning and computer science techniques to determine genes that cause resistance against cancer-fighting drugs in breast cancer patients.
• A 3D organoid model derived from stem cells that mimic human organs, He tested whether targeting the genes from the first part killed more or less cancer cells.

To kill cancer cells while simultaneously keeping healthy cells alive, Mittal’s method proved more effective than traditional chemotherapy. It could be used by changing how specific drugs are chosen in clinical trials.

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, a program that awards 15 prizes to young leaders aged 8 to 18 awarded Mittal gave Mittal recognition for his cancer research that improves early detection in breast cancer patients and he was also given a $10,000 prize.

Who Is Ekansh Mittal?

Visiting his grandmother in India when he was 14, Mittal learned later she had been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. When she died just two months later, he felt a personal connection to researching cancer.

His research has been presented at science fairs across the U.S. and at this year’s Regeneron Science Talent Search- a prestigious research competition that selects 40 high school students annually to participate in a weeklong conference, he was a national finalist.

Mittal said during the Q&A phase that it was a rewarding experience because it pushed him to consider ways he could improve.

Through tutoring his younger sister, Anushi, Mittal became passionate about supporting other young people looking to break into STEM fields and launched his own tutoring website, STEM Universe during the pandemic. It focuses on helping children develop a love for science, technology, engineering, and math.

Mittal now teaches math and Python courses with Anushi, something he describes as a full circle moment.  He is excited to explore his options and see what’s next.

Mittal plans to use his $10,000 prize, Mittal towards his education at Stanford University. His week of classes as a prospective computer science major starts next week and he hopes to continue working in computational biology research.