Dr Zainab Kidwai

Zainab Kidwai is a dentist and public health researcher tackling oral cancer through low-cost, community-first solutions. After witnessing late-stage cases in rural India, she pursued a Master's in Dental Public Health and a PhD focussed on early detection. She developed an oral cancer screening toolkit with 27 head and neck cancer experts and built a prototype app that trains community health workers and links patients to care. Zainab now leads efforts to develop an AI-based screening tool for South Asia. She co-founded the BALLANCE cancer network to foster global research, mentorship, and knowledge exchange in head and neck cancer. Her latest project is Guardians of the Shining Light, a video game that uses storytelling to challenge tobacco norms. She is a 2023 Falling Walls Female Science Talent Champion.