Meet Daniel Zhang, the 17-year-old San Diego student who lost his grandmother to cancer at nine, then built a 72-card cancer game reaching 1,500 children
When Daniel Zhang was nine, cancer was something he could not understand. His grandmother had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and the months that followed were filled with hospital visits, treatments and questions that were difficult for a child to process. Years later, that experience would inspire the San Diego teenager to create something designed to help other children make sense of the disease. Now 17, Zhang is a cancer biology and bioinformatics researcher, educator and co-founder of Tumor Tactics, a 72-card educational game that turns cancer biology and treatment decisions into a strategy game for young learners. His story was recently featured by Young Planet Leaders, which named him its September 2026 Young Planet Leader.
From a painful childhood experience to a game about cancer
Zhang’s connection with cancer began when his grandmother was diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer. According to the story behind Tumor Tactics, he spent months watching her undergo treatment and struggling to understand why medicines intended to help her could also leave her exhausted and unwell. The experience stayed with him.Years later, when cancer affected his family again, Zhang found himself trying to explain the disease to his younger sister. That experience reinforced something he had felt as a child: medical terminology could be overwhelming, particularly for young people watching someone they love go through cancer. The idea for Tumor Tactics grew from that gap.Created with fellow student Zachary Tou, the game places players in the role of doctors and asks them to make decisions based on cancer biology, treatment options and potential side effects. The creators say the aim is not to make cancer seem simple, but to make its underlying science easier for children to understand.
A classroom idea that has grown beyond the cards
Tumor Tactics has already attracted recognition and funding. Young Planet Leaders reports that the project has received more than $3,600 in grants, became a finalist in the ECGBL International Educational Games Competition and is scheduled to be presented at the 2026 United Nations Science Summit in New York. The game is part of a broader effort by Zhang to make science education accessible to children.He is also a co-founder and National President of STEAMLabs International, a student-led nonprofit that runs free STEM and arts programmes for young people. The organisation has reached more than 1,500 K-8 students across multiple US cities and states as well as Nigeria, according to Young Planet Leaders. California State Senator Catherine Blakespear’s office also recognised Zhang in 2025 for his work with STEAMLabs, citing more than 25 educational events reaching over 1,500 students.
From cancer research to Carnegie Hall
Zhang’s interests extend well beyond education. He conducts cancer-related research and has worked with the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. He was also selected for the 2026 Summer Science Program at Purdue University, according to Young Planet Leaders.At the same time, he has pursued music seriously. An all-state classical pianist, Zhang has performed at Carnegie Hall and international venues, while also helping lead HANG, a network that brings live music performances to senior-care communities in San Diego.For Zhang, however, the different strands of his work appear to meet at the same point: making complicated subjects more accessible and using what he has learned to help others. What began with a nine-year-old trying to understand his grandmother’s illness has now become a project designed to ensure that another child facing cancer does not have to feel quite as lost.
