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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Time magazine has named Polish teenager Kornelia Wieczorek among its Girls of the Year 2025 for her work on innovative science projects, including co-developing biodegradable fertiliser and an app that helps elderly dermatology patients.
The first-ever Girls of the Year list, created in partnership with LEGO Group, recognises ten young leaders aged 12 to 17 who are inspiring communities worldwide. LEGO has also designed figures of those featured.
“These girls are part of a generation that’s reshaping what leadership looks like today…Their generation understands that change doesn’t require waiting for adulthood – it starts with seeing problems and refusing to accept them as permanent,” Time said.
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Wieczorek is a 17-year-old student at a prestigious high school in the Polish city of Gdynia. She told Time that as a child, she disliked science and was “afraid of biology” until a teacher introduced her to its practical applications.
By the age of ten, she was attending classes at a local medical school and working in research laboratories. Four years later, she and fellow student Diana Serjant developed a biodegradable fertiliser, designed to support seed growth without degrading soil.
Wieczorek said she hopes to continue research on the fertiliser once she begins her university studies and has access to more advanced laboratories.
She is also co-developing a dermatology app called Skin Without Fears with another student, Leon Krupa, at their high school science club. The tool helps detect skin lesions, aims to reduce the cost of medical diagnostics, and is designed to be accessible to elderly users.
“The motivation to create the ‘Skin Without Fears’ app stemmed in part from my experience volunteering at a nursing home…I noticed that many seniors don’t have easy access to specialised medical care, and the cost of dermatologist visits can be a significant burden for them,” Wieczorek told the Polish edition of Elle magazine.
She is also working with one of Poland’s largest oncology centres to create an app connected with brachytherapy, a form of internal radiation therapy, and is carrying out research with a Harvard professor on the use of stem cells in treatments of Parkinson’s disease.
Polish university teams have finished first and third at an international robotics competition in which contestants had to create rovers which completed tasks simulating those that would be needed in a colony on another planet https://t.co/1WtdhDsSid
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) August 17, 2023
Wieczorek was previously recognised by Forbes magazine, which named her as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in 2024 and, alongside Serjant, represented Poland at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in the United States. She was a speaker at TEDx Warsaw Women last year.
She told Time she is considering a dual degree in neuroscience and medicine, but said that recent opportunities make it difficult for her to know how her future will unfold. “I’m not really sure what will happen half a year from now, but I hope to be an expert in what I’m interested in, because it’s something I really like,” Wieczorek explained.
She encourages young scientists to follow their passions. “Learn as much as you can, be bold in combining that knowledge, and work towards the person you want to become.”
Outside her studies, Wieczorek competes in dog agility, a sport in which dogs navigate obstacle courses under the guidance of their handlers.
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: Time
Alicja Ptak is senior editor at Notes from Poland and a multimedia journalist. She previously worked for Reuters.
