16-Year-Old Wins $250,000 Scholarship in Global Science Competition
Her submission was selected from thousands of entries worldwide. In addition to the scholarship, Haideri's prize includes the installation of a state-of-the-art science lab at her high school and $50,000 for her science teacher.
Binye-lum 
Noor Haideri, a 16-year-old high school junior from Overland Park, United States, has won first prize in the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, a global science video competition for high school students. Her winning entry on the impact of blue light on sleep cycles earned her a $250,000 scholarship to university.
Haideri's video explained how blue light from phones and computers disrupts sleep quality by stimulating melanopsin, a protein in the eye, which in turn reduces melatonin production. "In our eye, there’s this protein called melanopsin. When blue light enters your eye, it gets stimulated, and that sends a signal through the optic nerve to your brain to reduce the production of melatonin. And as we know, melatonin is what makes us go to sleep," she explained.
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Her submission was selected from thousands of entries worldwide. In addition to the scholarship, Haideri's prize includes the installation of a state-of-the-art science lab at her high school and $50,000 for her science teacher.
Reflecting on her achievement, Haideri said, "They called my name, and I thought I was getting a different award. Then I found out it was actually the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. It was one of the best surprises."
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Haideri plans to use the scholarship to pursue multiple doctorate degrees.
