Meet Lidia Rak, the 18-year-old Florida student whose research found a correlation between groundwater radium and pediatric brain-tumor incidence (Image Credit: Duval County Public Schools)
At 18, Lidia Rak has already taken her interest in cancer research beyond the classroom and into conversations with lawmakers. Mandarin High School, that work also contributed to a $30 million Florida bill supporting local hospitals, according to her school. Mandarin High School reported in April that she had contributed to a $30 million Florida bill supporting local hospitals.
Her research eventually turned towards pediatric brain tumours and the possible relationship between naturally occurring radium in groundwater and reported cases in Florida.
Her analysis identified a correlation between the two, according to Rak’s account to her school. She told Mandarin High School that her conversations with legislators were not simply about presenting statistical figures. She told her school that childhood cancer may receive less funding than adult cancers despite the long-term effects that a diagnosis can have on children.
The Mandarin High School senior began looking at cancer data after a personal experience with an autoimmune blood condition led her to learn more about cancer risks. Rak then began advocating for greater attention to childhood cancer research and care. The distinction between correlation and causation is important here. Rak’s research identified a statistical relationship in the data she examined; that finding by itself does not establish that groundwater radium causes pediatric brain tumours. Her school describes the work as an environmental epidemiology study. Rak did not stop with the research. She began using what she had found to talk about pediatric cancer funding and support. As a National Gold Together Ambassador for the American Cancer Society, she has spoken with lawmakers in Florida and Washington, DC. Instead, she tried to explain the presence of cancer clusters in the Jacksonville area and why she believed more attention should be given to pediatric cancer research and patient support. Rak’s advocacy has also taken her into state policy discussions. The school described this as one of the outcomes of her work as a student researcher and advocate. For Rak, the policy work grew out of a broader concern about how pediatric cancer is researched and treated.
What comes next for the 18-year-old
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes selected Rak as one of its 2026 winners, part of a group of 25 young people recognised for projects involving service, science, health and the environment.
She told Mandarin High School that she intends to study molecular biology in college and eventually pursue medicine, with the goal of becoming a pediatric oncologist. Rak said the project is aimed at young people who want to get involved but may not know where to begin. Rak is planning to continue both her scientific and advocacy work. She also plans to remain involved with the American Cancer Society and continue working on brain-tumour research. She is also working on a book about youth advocacy. She has spoken about her own experience of finding a starting point through a volunteer opportunity and gradually becoming involved in cancer advocacy. Her story has now earned recognition beyond her school and state.