Meet Indian who became Bihar’s first woman to get featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list for...

Self-made success stories of people from small towns are extremely inspiring and moving. One such extraordinary story is of Sapna Sinha, 29, who has scripted history by featuring on the renowned Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list for her groundbreaking research in brain and cognitive sciences. This exceptional feat highlights her unwavering passion and brilliance.

Born in 1995, Sapna’s father, Sanjay Kumar, leads the electronics department, and her mother, Sangita Sinha, is a physics professor at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University (BRABU). 

Raised in a household that valued education, Sapna's dreams and curiosity were nurtured from a young age. She topped in school in Muzaffarpur and Patna before earning a BTech in chemical engineering from Nagoya University in Japan.

Thereafter, Sapna pursued a PhD from Oxford University, where her research on nanomaterials garnered immense international recognition. She then worked as an assistant professor at Osaka University in Japan and was named a Schmidt Science Fellow in 2021. 

In 2022, she joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where her innovative work in optogenetics—an area that leverages light to stimulate cells—offers new hope for curing brain and spinal cord injuries.

Sapna's inclusion in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list is a testament to her unflinching determination and passion for making a global impact. She joins 300 young visionaries from various fields, including arts, entertainment, finance, and technology, representing the unique talents impacting our future.