For episode 48 of 17 Minutes of Science we talked with Neha Gupta about her science research in addition to how she is lifting and inspiring other girls to pursue STEM.

Since she was 12 years old, Neha Gupta has been competing in science fairs and exploring STEM topics related to biology and health sciences. Since 2017, her participation in the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair has led her to compete in national (Canada-Wide Science Fair) and international level fairs (International Science and Engineering Fair). Her current research uses C. elegans to test for toxicity, and required her to develop a method of quantitatively modeling C. elegans behavior - something that had never been done before.

While participating in these science fairs is fun and inspiring, Neha noticed a theme among her fellow female science fair participants - there were not enough of them, and they all had stories about how if it had been just a bit different, they probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to pursue STEM. Because of these conversations, Neha actively seeks to encourage young girls to participate in science fairs and STEM fields, as science is not a subject restricted to one population of people. This has inspired her to found STEMpowerment, a nonprofit run through Twitter aimed at creating more visibility around women and girls in STEM to empower youth to make strides in scientific fields and Dimensions Magazine, a science-based student-run magazine aimed to engage high school and undergrad students in science by publishing student-written articles. Neha also runs a blog where you can check out her most recent updates.

Tune in to learn more about Neha's research and her drive to make STEM more accessible.