September 2026 Young Planet Leader Daniel Zhang
Daniel Zhang is a 17-year-old cancer researcher, educator, and student from San Diego, California. After losing his grandmother to pancreatic cancer at age nine, he co-founded STEAMLabs International, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has reached 1,500+ K-8 students across 11 cities, 7 states, and Nigeria, and co-created Tumor Tactics, a 72-card cancer education game where players act as doctors navigating real treatment decisions. Tumor Tactics has earned $3,600+ in grants, reached finalist status at the ECGBL 14th International Educational Games Competition, and will be presented at the 2026 UN Science Summit in New York.
Daniel is also a cancer biology and bioinformatics researcher, serving as one of 12 Affiliate Scholars at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, a full $13,600 Indigo Research Scholar (one of two selected globally), and one of 36 students chosen from 4,800+ applicants for SSP 2026: Bacterial Genomics at Purdue. Outside the lab, he is an all-state classical pianist who has performed at Carnegie Hall twice and at venues in Berlin, Vienna, and Tokyo, and leads HANG, a 25-musician network bringing live music to senior care homes across San Diego.
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Follow Daniel’s work:
• STEAMLabs International: https://
• STEAMLabs Instagram: https://www.
• LinkedIn: https://www.