Exceptional Innovation: 18-Year-Old Jacob Yasonik Develops AI for Drug Generation, Clinches $50,000 Scholarship
“I started this project the summer before my junior year just as something to do over the summer, something I was interested in,” Yasonik shared in an interview with JSOnline. Reflecting on the unexpected recognition, he expressed his delight at the project's evolution over the past two years.
AKACHI NOEL 
In an extraordinary feat of innovation, 18-year-old Jacob Yasonik, a recent graduate of Homestead High School in Mequon, United States, has created an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system capable of generating pharmaceutical drugs. Yasonik's groundbreaking work has earned him a $50,000 scholarship, placing him among the 20 students recognized by the Davidson Institute's Fellows Scholarship Program for their outstanding contributions to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature, and music.
The Davidson Institute's Fellows Scholarship Program offers substantial college scholarships to individuals aged 18 or younger who have undertaken significant projects with the potential to benefit society. Yasonik's AI-driven approach to pharmaceutical drug development caught the attention of the institute, resulting in his selection for the prestigious scholarship.
“I started this project the summer before my junior year just as something to do over the summer, something I was interested in,” Yasonik shared in an interview with JSOnline. Reflecting on the unexpected recognition, he expressed his delight at the project's evolution over the past two years.
Yasonik's AI project focuses on generating drug-like molecules from scratch and optimizing multiple molecular properties simultaneously. The innovation holds the promise of transforming the drug development process, reducing reliance on trial and error by employing a generative approach.
The young inventor submitted a paper and video detailing his project, showcasing its potential impact on the field of medicine. His work underscores the intersection of artificial intelligence and pharmaceuticals, offering a fresh perspective on drug discovery.
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Jacob Yasonik, set to pursue further studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), plans to continue his exploration of artificial intelligence and computational biology. He aspires to contribute to biotech research, emphasizing the current relevance of such research in the context of global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I keep hearing ‘Make sure you’re in the right place, right time.’ So looking at coronavirus, looking at what’s going on right now, I feel like this is the right place, right time for biotech and biotech research. That’s why I’ve been getting interested in startups and things like that,” Yasonik remarked.
His achievement exemplifies the potential of young minds to make significant contributions to cutting-edge fields, positioning Yasonik as a trailblazer in the intersection of artificial intelligence and biotechnology.
