Gitanjali Rao, a rising junior at MIT majoring in biological engineering, has been named the first-ever recipient of the Stephen Hawking Junior Medal for Science Communication. This award, presented by the Starmus Festival, is a new category of the already prestigious award created by the late theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author Stephen Hawking and the Starmus Festival.

“I spend a lot of time in labs,” says Rao, highlighting her Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program project in the Langer Lab. Along with her curiosity to explore, she also has a passion for helping others understand what happens inside the lab. “We very rarely discuss why science communication is important,” she says. “Stephen Hawking was incredible at that.”

Rao is the inventor of Epione, a device for early diagnosis of prescription opioid addiction, and Kindly, an anti-cyber-bullying service powered by AI and natural language processing. Kindly is now a United Nations Children's Fund “Digital Public Good” service and is accessible worldwide. These efforts, among others, brought her to the attention of the Starmus team.

The award ceremony was held last April at the Kennedy Center in Washington, where Rao gave a speech and met acclaimed scientists, artists, and musicians. “It was one for the books,” she says. “I met Brian May from Queen — he's a physicist.” Rao is also a musician in her own right — she plays bass guitar and piano, and she's been learning to DJ at MIT. “Starmus” is a portmanteau of “stars” and “music.”

Originally from Denver, Colorado, Rao attended a STEM-focused school before MIT. Looking ahead, she's open to graduate school, and dreams of launching a biotech startup when the right idea comes.

The medal comes with an internship opportunity that Rao hopes to use for fieldwork or experience in the pharmaceutical industry. She’s already secured a summer internship at Moderna, and is considering spending Independent Activities Period abroad. “Hopefully, I'll have a better idea in the next few months.”