👏 Congratulations! 🎉

Mehul joined I’m a Scientist in September and has been helping students understand how chemistry and physics can be applied in his work.

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A few words from Mehul

Wow – thank you all so much for voting me Term Winner of I’m a Scientist for February 2026. I’m feeling grateful and genuinely surprised, but more than anything, I’m inspired. I’m inspired by the young people who asked questions, challenged ideas and reminded us all why science matters.

A huge thank you to all the students who took part. Your questions were brilliant – sharp, weird, hilarious and genuinely challenging! You made me think, you made me laugh, and you showed me that the next generation of scientists are curious, thoughtful and deeply aware of the world around them.

The way you think about climate change, health, technology, space, the future… it gives me real hope. You’re already asking the kinds of questions that scientists spend years thinking about. If you keep that up, you’ll be solving problems before the rest of us have even finished our coffee!

To the teachers who let all this chaos happen – thank you! And to the other scientists, what a fun group of people to be part of. I learned a lot from you too. And to the I’m a Scientist team, thank you for building a platform that brings us all together.

One thing I really hope came across is that science isn’t some exclusive club. It’s messy, creative, full of surprises, and absolutely open to anyone who is curious. You don’t have to be “the science person” in school. You don’t need to know everything. None of us do. Trust me!

If you enjoy figuring things out, coming up with cool ideas, breaking things (in an “experiment”, of course), or just asking “wait… why does that happen?”, then you already think like a scientist.

And the future is going to need people like you, who question things, who explore, who test ideas, and who don’t give up just because something is tricky. Whether you end up working in labs, hospitals, engineering, policy, space, the environment, AI, or something that doesn’t even exist yet – your curiosity can genuinely make the world a better place.

So keep asking the big questions. Keep challenging what doesn’t make sense. And keep having fun with it. Science is way better when you’re enjoying the journey.

Thank you again for the votes, the Chats, the laughs, and the brilliant questions. It’s been an absolute blast!

And remember: stay curious – it’s a superpower.

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How is the winner chosen?

Each student has one vote to give to a scientist each academic year, and whoever gets the most votes, wins! It’s as simple as that.

But wait, there’s more: the winner earns £500 to spend in further STEM engagement!

Want to choose who wins the £500? Vote for your favourite scientist on the Vote Page! 🗳️