When Jasmine Eyal started researching potential treatments for her grandmother’s Type 1 diabetes, she didn’t expect it to lead to a $250,000 college scholarship. But that’s exactly what happened when the 16-year-old from Singapore won the 2024 Breakthrough Junior Challenge—a global science video competition founded by Julia and Yuri Milner.
Her winning entry explains mechanogenetic cellular engineering, an innovative biotechnology that could revolutionize how we treat chronic diseases. In under two minutes, Jasmine breaks down a concept that typically requires years of graduate study—and she does it with humor, creativity, and her grandmother Popo as co-star.
A Personal Mission
“My grandma, Popo, struggles with Type 1 diabetes, and I was inspired to learn more about this field of biology because of its potential to revolutionize health and medicine, treat chronic illnesses, and improve health outcomes,” Jasmine said upon receiving the award. “The intersection of biology and technology in cellular engineering is an area where breakthroughs can dramatically improve the quality of life for countless individuals, including Popo.”
Popo—whose real name is Anne Li—didn’t just inspire the video. She co-stars in it and was the first person to share the news of Jasmine’s win.
“I was so pleased when Jasmine asked me to participate in her entry and was delighted to be the one to share the news with her,” Anne Li said. “Jasmine has been an enthusiastic learner her entire life, and her mother has been an outstanding homeschool educator, connecting everyday experiences to science.”
Persistence Pays Off
The 2024 win marked Jasmine’s second time as a competition finalist—she had previously entered in 2023. That persistence reflects exactly what the Breakthrough Junior Challenge aims to cultivate: young people who engage deeply with scientific concepts and keep pushing to communicate them better.
“This is the tenth year of the Junior Challenge, and every year I’m very impressed by the quality of the submissions,” said Julia Milner, co-founder of the Breakthrough Prize. “Jasmine’s video is a great example of where curiosity can lead you. She was researching potential treatments for her grandma’s diabetes, and it inspired her to explain the idea in a really smart, original and funny way.”
Jasmine was honored alongside the 2025 Breakthrough Prize laureates at the ceremony in Los Angeles—sharing the stage with scientists whose work on GLP-1 medications, gene editing, and particle physics is already transforming lives.
A Ripple Effect
The prize package extends beyond Jasmine herself. Her science teacher, Julie Li-Eyal, receives a $50,000 award. And Community High School in Brooklyn, New York—part of the Beginning with Children Education Network—receives a state-of-the-art science lab designed by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, valued at $100,000.
“Science is a critical and ever-evolving field and having access to a dedicated lab will allow our students to engage in hands-on learning, deepen their curiosity, and explore the endless possibilities that science offers,” said Esosa Ogbahon, the school’s principal. “This opportunity will not only enrich our curriculum but also inspire the next generation of scientists, innovators, and problem-solvers.”
This multiplier effect is by design. Yuri Milner’s philanthropic philosophy emphasizes leverage—each investment should generate returns beyond its immediate recipient.
The Next Generation
Jasmine’s story captures something essential about the Breakthrough Junior Challenge: science isn’t just for professional researchers. It’s for anyone curious enough to ask questions and creative enough to share what they learn.
A teenager worried about her grandmother’s health dove into cutting-edge biotechnology, distilled it into a two-minute video, and emerged with resources that will shape her future—and inspire students she’ll never meet at a school across the world.
That’s the kind of chain reaction Yuri Milner is betting on.
