They don’t have medical degrees. They haven’t spent decades in research labs. In fact, they are barely in their 20s.
Yet, two young women, Zoey Chan and Gunika Jain, have dared to tackle two pressing diseases of our time that affect millions worldwide – diabetes and cervical cancer.
Armed with empathy and ingenuity, design graduates Chan and Jain each created products that support early detection and day-to-day disease management.
Chan, 23, created Nido, a compact and portable insulin organiser to simplify multiple daily injections for people with diabetes so they would not have to fumble with needles and endure accidental pricks.
Chan wanted to make “isolating and burdensome” insulin injections easier in small spaces like toilet cubicles, or on the go. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
Jain, 21, designed Chhavi, a self-testing kit for human papillomavirus (HPV), the main cause of cervical cancer. A silent killer, cervical cancer is frequently detected only in its late stages in rural India, largely because social stigma keeps women from screening. Chhavi helps break that barrier by enabling women to test at home and receive results in minutes, in privacy.
Jain designed a discreet self-testing kit for human papillomavirus (HPV) for rural women in India. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
This month, Chan was named national winner, and Jain, one of two national runners-up for the James Dyson Award 2025. This annual international design competition celebrates problem-solving inventions by current and recent university students in engineering, product design and industrial design.
As the national winner, Chan was awarded S$8,400 to further develop her invention. Both women will have the chance to be shortlisted for the Global Top 20 of the James Dyson Award on Oct 15, who will then compete for the prize money of S$50,700, to be announced on Nov 5.
Chan’s invention was born out of her personal struggles. Three years ago, at the age of 20, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and hospitalised for a week.
“At first, I was in denial. I didn’t tell my friends. It was very hard to explain that I took a week off school and I came back diabetic. It felt very shameful,” she confessed.
Chan would run to the toilet before or after meals to secretly administer her insulin injections. She explained that she did not want to be perceived as sick and needing special help or consideration.
Inspired by her own struggles with Type 1 diabetes, Chan (left) went through 100 prototypes to create a pocket-sized insulin organiser. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, triggered by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, where the body produces little or no insulin. Individuals with the disease typically need at least three insulin shots daily.
Without these, their blood sugar would quickly climb, leaving them weak, dizzy or feeling faint. Over time, uncontrolled diabetes can cause blindness, kidney failure and other serious complications, Chan explained.
But Chan dreaded these injections, typically done in the abdomen, though they can be administered in the arms, thighs or buttocks. “If you hit the wrong nerve or inject diagonally instead of straight on, it hurts a lot. And every time I inject, it’s a reminder that I will be stuck with diabetes for the rest of my life,” she told CNA Women.
What made it even more unpleasant was having to fumble with the insulin pen and needles in a cramped toilet cubicle.
Insulin pens do not come with a built-in needle, so Chan had to attach a fresh needle to the pen for every injection and remove the needle after. She kept her pen and needles in a spectacles case, and found herself having to precariously balance all these small objects in a grimy toilet.
“It was a frustrating experience. Sometimes when I open the case, my needles would fall out. Or I might accidentally prick myself on used needles when I reach into the case. Sometimes, I’d drop the little caps that cover the insulin pen needles into the toilet bowl, or prick myself when I try to cap the needles after use,” she said.
Last year, the then-National University of Singapore (NUS) industrial design undergraduate decided to confront this problem for her final-year project by designing a compact insulin organiser – something she could not find in the market.
She also finally opened up about her diabetes to friends and classmates, and interviewed 15 people with Type 1 diabetes. Among them was a model who injected on the go and a seven-year-old boy who did his insulin injections secretly for fear of bullying and teasing.
They inspired her to create Nido, an acronym for neat insulin daily organiser. This pocket-sized case features specialised compartments for four needles. It allows users to easily screw needles onto the pen before injections and then cap needles after use even without flat surfaces to lay them on.
Chan’s nido enables users to easily screw needles onto the pen for injections, and cap the needles after injection. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
This enables users to administer insulin injections in small spaces or on the go without wasting needles or accidentally pricking their fingers.
Her design also cleverly adapts to different needle sizes and comes with a small disposal slot for used needle tabs.
Jain’s invention came from a desire to give back to her community. When searching for a final-year project, the Indian national and then LASALLE College of the Arts product design undergraduate chanced upon an alarming figure: Every eight minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer in India.
Deep diving into the topic, she realised that many women in rural India did not even know cervical cancer existed. Even if they did, they refused to go for screening because of deeply rooted social stigmas.
“In rural India, if you have cervical cancer, a lot of people believe you are possessed. They would actually take you to a temple to get the spirit removed,” Jain told CNA Women.
Another reason is because some women with cervical cancer may also face fertility issues or a greater risk of miscarriage – a particularly painful burden in rural India, where motherhood is seen as central to a woman’s identity, and infertility can lead to stigma or even divorce, she added.
In December 2024, Jain travelled to Delhi, India to speak to two female community health workers trained by the government to promote health awareness and facilitate access to healthcare services.
They told her that women in rural India found it “shameful” to talk about cervical cancer and would rather endure the pain. They also feared that diagnosis may cause them to be isolated from their village.
Jain hopes her self-testing kit, Chhavi, will increase early detection of cervical cancer in rural India. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
In India,
She learnt about the Pap smear, where a speculum (an instrument that opens vaginal walls) allows the clinician to collect cells from the cervix with a swab, to test for abnormality. Results take about a week or two.
Many women find this process, particularly the use of the speculum, uncomfortable and intimidating, said Jain.
To overcome these barriers, she came up with Chhavi, which means “reflection” or “self-image” in Hindi. The self-testing kit includes a cotton swab that women can use in the comfort and privacy of their homes to collect a sample of cells.
Chhavi is designed to enable women to screen for cervical cancer without hospital visits or the discomfort of a speculum. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
The swab is placed in a diagnostic solution, and within minutes, results appear on a strip similar to COVID-19 or pregnancy test kits.
Women who test positive for HPV may also seal their swab in a provided bag and send it directly to a laboratory for further testing to detect abnormal, pre-cancerous or cancerous cells, she said.
Both nido and Chhavi are still at the design prototype stage and require further testing. Chhavi has not yet received clinical approval. However, Chan and Jain hope to make their products available in the market in the near future.
This journey has also made them advocates for their community.
Chan’s hope is that greater awareness will dispel the misconception that people with Type 1 diabetes became ill due to poor diets and unhealthy lifestyles. Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented this way because it is a genetic condition.
She and others in her community simply want to lead full, enriching lives, and she believes open sharing and thoughtful product design will help.
Chan hopes her product design and advocacy will empower individuals with Type 1 diabetes. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
Jain too, hopes to normalise the conversation on women’s health, including conditions related to intimate body parts, to promote early detection. She is now pursuing her master’s in design at LASALLE College of the Arts and researching polycystic ovary syndrome.
“Women’s health and pain often go a little unnoticed. Over time, women have also started believing that their problems aren’t really a problem. But I believe everybody’s body is equally important,” she said.
“Once we start talking about it openly, something can be done,” she added. “Until then, I can do my little part by making medical devices affordable, comfortable and easily accessible to women, to meet them where they are emotionally, physically and mentally at the moment,” she said.
CNA Women is a section on CNA Lifestyle that seeks to inform, empower and inspire the modern woman. If you have women-related news, issues and ideas to share with us, email CNAWomen [at] mediacorp.com.sg (CNAWomen[at]mediacorp[dot]com[dot]sg).
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Yet, two young women, Zoey Chan and Gunika Jain, have dared to tackle two pressing diseases of our time that affect millions worldwide – diabetes and cervical cancer.
Armed with empathy and ingenuity, design graduates Chan and Jain each created products that support early detection and day-to-day disease management.
Chan, 23, created Nido, a compact and portable insulin organiser to simplify multiple daily injections for people with diabetes so they would not have to fumble with needles and endure accidental pricks.
Chan wanted to make “isolating and burdensome” insulin injections easier in small spaces like toilet cubicles, or on the go. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
Jain, 21, designed Chhavi, a self-testing kit for human papillomavirus (HPV), the main cause of cervical cancer. A silent killer, cervical cancer is frequently detected only in its late stages in rural India, largely because social stigma keeps women from screening. Chhavi helps break that barrier by enabling women to test at home and receive results in minutes, in privacy.
Jain designed a discreet self-testing kit for human papillomavirus (HPV) for rural women in India. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
This month, Chan was named national winner, and Jain, one of two national runners-up for the James Dyson Award 2025. This annual international design competition celebrates problem-solving inventions by current and recent university students in engineering, product design and industrial design.
As the national winner, Chan was awarded S$8,400 to further develop her invention. Both women will have the chance to be shortlisted for the Global Top 20 of the James Dyson Award on Oct 15, who will then compete for the prize money of S$50,700, to be announced on Nov 5.
MOVING THE NEEDLE ON TYPE 1 DIABETES
Chan’s invention was born out of her personal struggles. Three years ago, at the age of 20, she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and hospitalised for a week.
“At first, I was in denial. I didn’t tell my friends. It was very hard to explain that I took a week off school and I came back diabetic. It felt very shameful,” she confessed.
Chan would run to the toilet before or after meals to secretly administer her insulin injections. She explained that she did not want to be perceived as sick and needing special help or consideration.
Inspired by her own struggles with Type 1 diabetes, Chan (left) went through 100 prototypes to create a pocket-sized insulin organiser. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, triggered by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, where the body produces little or no insulin. Individuals with the disease typically need at least three insulin shots daily.
Without these, their blood sugar would quickly climb, leaving them weak, dizzy or feeling faint. Over time, uncontrolled diabetes can cause blindness, kidney failure and other serious complications, Chan explained.
But Chan dreaded these injections, typically done in the abdomen, though they can be administered in the arms, thighs or buttocks. “If you hit the wrong nerve or inject diagonally instead of straight on, it hurts a lot. And every time I inject, it’s a reminder that I will be stuck with diabetes for the rest of my life,” she told CNA Women.
What made it even more unpleasant was having to fumble with the insulin pen and needles in a cramped toilet cubicle.
Insulin pens do not come with a built-in needle, so Chan had to attach a fresh needle to the pen for every injection and remove the needle after. She kept her pen and needles in a spectacles case, and found herself having to precariously balance all these small objects in a grimy toilet.
“It was a frustrating experience. Sometimes when I open the case, my needles would fall out. Or I might accidentally prick myself on used needles when I reach into the case. Sometimes, I’d drop the little caps that cover the insulin pen needles into the toilet bowl, or prick myself when I try to cap the needles after use,” she said.
Last year, the then-National University of Singapore (NUS) industrial design undergraduate decided to confront this problem for her final-year project by designing a compact insulin organiser – something she could not find in the market.
She also finally opened up about her diabetes to friends and classmates, and interviewed 15 people with Type 1 diabetes. Among them was a model who injected on the go and a seven-year-old boy who did his insulin injections secretly for fear of bullying and teasing.
They inspired her to create Nido, an acronym for neat insulin daily organiser. This pocket-sized case features specialised compartments for four needles. It allows users to easily screw needles onto the pen before injections and then cap needles after use even without flat surfaces to lay them on.
Chan’s nido enables users to easily screw needles onto the pen for injections, and cap the needles after injection. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
This enables users to administer insulin injections in small spaces or on the go without wasting needles or accidentally pricking their fingers.
Her design also cleverly adapts to different needle sizes and comes with a small disposal slot for used needle tabs.
CHALLENGING STIGMAS, CHANGING LIVES
Jain’s invention came from a desire to give back to her community. When searching for a final-year project, the Indian national and then LASALLE College of the Arts product design undergraduate chanced upon an alarming figure: Every eight minutes, a woman dies from cervical cancer in India.
Deep diving into the topic, she realised that many women in rural India did not even know cervical cancer existed. Even if they did, they refused to go for screening because of deeply rooted social stigmas.
“In rural India, if you have cervical cancer, a lot of people believe you are possessed. They would actually take you to a temple to get the spirit removed,” Jain told CNA Women.
Another reason is because some women with cervical cancer may also face fertility issues or a greater risk of miscarriage – a particularly painful burden in rural India, where motherhood is seen as central to a woman’s identity, and infertility can lead to stigma or even divorce, she added.
In December 2024, Jain travelled to Delhi, India to speak to two female community health workers trained by the government to promote health awareness and facilitate access to healthcare services.
They told her that women in rural India found it “shameful” to talk about cervical cancer and would rather endure the pain. They also feared that diagnosis may cause them to be isolated from their village.
Jain hopes her self-testing kit, Chhavi, will increase early detection of cervical cancer in rural India. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
In India,
She learnt about the Pap smear, where a speculum (an instrument that opens vaginal walls) allows the clinician to collect cells from the cervix with a swab, to test for abnormality. Results take about a week or two.
Many women find this process, particularly the use of the speculum, uncomfortable and intimidating, said Jain.
To overcome these barriers, she came up with Chhavi, which means “reflection” or “self-image” in Hindi. The self-testing kit includes a cotton swab that women can use in the comfort and privacy of their homes to collect a sample of cells.
Chhavi is designed to enable women to screen for cervical cancer without hospital visits or the discomfort of a speculum. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
The swab is placed in a diagnostic solution, and within minutes, results appear on a strip similar to COVID-19 or pregnancy test kits.
Women who test positive for HPV may also seal their swab in a provided bag and send it directly to a laboratory for further testing to detect abnormal, pre-cancerous or cancerous cells, she said.
WHERE DESIGN BECOMES ADVOCACY
Both nido and Chhavi are still at the design prototype stage and require further testing. Chhavi has not yet received clinical approval. However, Chan and Jain hope to make their products available in the market in the near future.
This journey has also made them advocates for their community.
Chan’s hope is that greater awareness will dispel the misconception that people with Type 1 diabetes became ill due to poor diets and unhealthy lifestyles. Type 1 diabetes cannot be prevented this way because it is a genetic condition.
She and others in her community simply want to lead full, enriching lives, and she believes open sharing and thoughtful product design will help.
Chan hopes her product design and advocacy will empower individuals with Type 1 diabetes. (Photo: James Dyson Award)
Jain too, hopes to normalise the conversation on women’s health, including conditions related to intimate body parts, to promote early detection. She is now pursuing her master’s in design at LASALLE College of the Arts and researching polycystic ovary syndrome.
“Women’s health and pain often go a little unnoticed. Over time, women have also started believing that their problems aren’t really a problem. But I believe everybody’s body is equally important,” she said.
“Once we start talking about it openly, something can be done,” she added. “Until then, I can do my little part by making medical devices affordable, comfortable and easily accessible to women, to meet them where they are emotionally, physically and mentally at the moment,” she said.
CNA Women is a section on CNA Lifestyle that seeks to inform, empower and inspire the modern woman. If you have women-related news, issues and ideas to share with us, email CNAWomen [at] mediacorp.com.sg (CNAWomen[at]mediacorp[dot]com[dot]sg).
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