Young Researcher Harnesses Precision Medicine to Improve Cancer Diagnosis (Natalie Ng, 19, Cupertino, CA). Harnessing the power of Precision Medicine, Natalie Ng developed two micro-RNA-based prognostic models that can predict metastasis in breast cancer, and identified two micro-RNAs that independently impact the ability of breast cancer cells to metastasize. Ng’s project has important implications for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer diagnosed in women worldwide, according to the latest WHO report. A frustrating reality about cancer is that even when initial hormonal treatment seems to work, metastatic cancer cells can survive and spread to distant sites in the body. Therefore, accurate prediction of metastatic outcome, such as with the aid of genetic signatures, can significantly improve the ability to predict the recurrence risk and to devise appropriate treatment strategies for individual cancer patients. Ng won First Place at the 2013 International BioGENEius Challenge.
High-School Senior Taps Precision Medicine to Improve Cardiac Health Diagnostics (Ruchi Pandya, 18, San Jose, CA). Combining nanotechnology, biology and electrochemistry, Ruchi Pandya’s research requires small biological samples – only a single drop of blood – to test for specific cardiac biomarkers. She developed a one-square centimeter carbon nanofiber electrode-based biosensor that has the potential to improve cardiac health diagnostics for patients around the world. Ruchi takes her passion for STEM education beyond the lab by mentoring 9th and 10th grade students on research and engineering as a teaching assistant for her school’s STEM-research class. She has competed at the California State Science Fair every year, and has won 18 category and special awards for scientific research. After graduation, Ruchi intends to major in materials science and engineering, and hopes to pursue a career as a technology entrepreneur.
President Barack Obama talks with Sergio Corral and Isela Martinez while viewing science exhibits during the 2015 White House Science Fair celebrating student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competitions, in the State Dining Room, March 23, 2015. The two 17-year-old students are current leaders of the robotics program from Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix, Ariz., which was chronicled in the recent documentary "Underwater Dreams" where their under-served high school beat out MIT and other colleges in an underwater robotics competition. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
6th Grade Engineers Design Earthquake-Safe Structures for Developing World (Julia Bray, 13; Luke Clay, 13; Ashton Cofer, 12, New Albany and Gahanna, OH). A team of Ohio 6th graders got inspired after befriending some Haitian students in 2010, right before the region's devastating earthquake. Team "Quake Safe" wanted to find a solution to help make the many structurally unsound buildings in Haiti safer. The students experimented with materials that could withstand pressure and unique construction shapes to find a building design that would be both cost effective and structurally sound. Their hyperbolic bamboo creation takes on a paraboloid shape, inspired by the shape of Pringle chips, and uses bamboo — a fast growing renewable resource that is easily accessed by most in the region. The team won first place in the National eCybermission competition — a US-Army run online contest that challenges student groups to submit detailed science or engineering project plans that solve a specific community-based challenge.
Crustacean-Derived Bio-filter removes Antibiotics from Drinking Water (Valerio, 16; Anthony Archuleta, 15; Julia Johnson 15, Andrea Chin-Lopez, 15, Ranchos de Taos and Taos, NM). 9th-grade Craybiotics team member James Valerio is severely allergic to penicillin and other common antibiotics derived from penicillin. For him, exposure to water supplies that are potentially contaminated with these substances could be a matter of life and death. Using chitosan, a polymer that can be derived from the shells of crustaceans, he and his teammates developed a bio-filter system to remove antibiotic drugs from drinking water. The team tested different forms of commercially available chitosan and also created their own from natural sources: crabs. Their promising research could help solve the growing problem of antibiotics in the water sources.
Connecticut Teen Patents Hiccup-Curing Lollipop (Mallory Kievman, 16, Manchester, CT). Hiccups are a nuisance for most, and a little-known side effect of chemotherapy, kidney dialysis, anesthesia, and other medical treatments — affecting quality of life for already-suffering patients. After enduring recurring bouts of hiccups over an extended period in the 7th grade, Mallory Kievman researched the physiology of hiccups and the associated folk remedies that have persisted over time. Mallory identified three approaches that worked to soothe her own hiccups: consuming apple cider vinegar, consuming sugar, and sucking on a lollipop. Mallory combined all three approaches and coined her invention the Hiccupop. Mallory is now a patented inventor (US Patent #8,563,030). Her creation appears to work by over-stimulating a set of nerves in the throat and mouth that may be responsible for the hiccup reflex arc. Her work earned her the honor of ringing the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange and presenting at the Inc. 500 Awards Ceremony. Further research to test the efficacy of her invention is being conducted in 2015.
All-Girl Developer Team Codes App to help Teens Cope (Stephanie Lopez, 17; Chloe Westphal, 17; Amanda Arellano, 18, Kennewick, WA). Inspired by their own experiences with the difficult emotions that accompany adolescence, team Safe & Sound developed an app concept to provide a way for teens to manage anxiety and feelings of depression by sharing their feelings in a private journal. Following the tragic suicide of 15 year old student in their community, the girls teamed up with their Health Informatics teacher to find a way to harness technology to promote teens' health and wellbeing. Their app concept was chosen from over 1,000 submissions by a panel of judges, ultimately earning the team a place as one of 8 National Winners of the Verizon Innovative App Challenge. Over the next few months, trainers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab will give the team onsite and virtual training on coding and app development, helping them to publish the app.
Wearable Breathalyzer Wristband Encourages Responsible Drinking. (Jonathan Hernandez, 17; Fanta Sinayoko, 18, Lancaster, CA). Jonathan Hernandez and Fanta Sinayoko represent their California high-school’s Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam — which designed and provisionally patented a unique blood alcohol content (BAC) detection wristband, called ëris. The apparatus, which sits on the underside of the wrist, is 1/8th the size of traditional breathalyzer technologies and, at $20, about 13% of the price of comparable breathalyzers. Upon blowing onto a miniature sensor in the wristband, the presence of ethanol triggers an analog voltage charge that is converted into a light-emitting diode (LED) reaction. Easily discernible colors indicate blood alcohol results to the wearer; green indicates the user is safe to drive (below legal limit BAC), and red indicates the user is not safe to drive (above legal limit BAC). The wristband is designed to be an appealing, viable option for adults and of-age college students who wish to drink responsibly. The team is currently working to file a utility patent, with at least one company expressing interest in a licensing agreement. Jonathan’s father emigrated from Mexico and his mother from Vietnam. Fanta's mother and father emigrated from Guinea, West Africa.
Harnessing Wave Energy to Purify Ocean Water for Drinking (Joseph Santana, 12; Sophia Nobles, 11, Tampa and Land O Lakes, FL). A team of Florida grade schoolers set out to find a renewable way of generating safe drinking water from ocean water – currently a costly process. The team designed WateRenew, a conceptual system that uses wing-like structures to harness energy from the vacillating hydroelectric forces of the underwater swells. WateRenew converts energy from the elliptical motion of waves into electrical energy that can power desalination of ocean water into drinking water. The desalination process incorporates a special reverse osmosis membrane made out of graphene to trap salt while allowing water molecules to flow through.
Young Patent-Holder Solves Challenges for Athletes, the Elderly, and New Parents (Lilianna Zyszkowski, 14, Norfolk, CT). Driven to invent things that help people, 9th grader Lilianna Zyskowski developed a series of inventions that use networked sensors to "mind" things for people. The PillMinder was created with a grandparent in mind. It uses capacitive touch sensors, LED lights, and a networked microcontroller to remind people to take their medications on schedule. The device also alerts caregivers via Twitter and SMS whether the proper pills have been taken on time. Her second invention, Dolphin Swim Goggles, was inspired by a swim teammate's concussion and are designed to prevent head, neck, and hand injuries. The Dolphin Goggles used an ultrasonic distance sensor (like the ones used in car bumpers) and LED lights to alert swimmers before they hit the pool wall — and earned Lilianna ESPN's Sports Invention Award. Her most recent invention, the BabyMinder uses conductive fabric to monitor a baby's temperature, diaper status, and distance from the parents — and then alerts the parents' cell phones. As a Next Step Inventor with the Connecticut Invention Convention, Lilianna is also working with a Silicon Valley firm to bring the PillMinder technology to market.
Teen "Teaches" Software to Distinguish Cancer-Causing Gene Mutations (Nathan Han, 16, Boston, MA). Nathan Han developed a machine-learning software tool to study mutations of a gene linked to breast cancer. Using data from publicly available databases, Nathan examined detailed characteristics of multiple mutations of the BRCA1 tumor suppressor gene in order to "teach" his software to differentiate between mutations that cause disease and those that do not. Nathan was awarded the Gordon E. Moore Award of $75,000 at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in 2014. He enjoys reading, Ping-Pong, and has been playing the violin since kindergarten.
Sophomore Student Transforms Old Piano into Interactive Jukebox (Sierra Seabrease, 15, Baltimore, MD). Sierra Seabrease, a Baltimore high-school sophomore, transformed an old, deserted piano into a fully functioning jukebox that pulls songs from an ever-changing Spotify playlist. Sierra's Jukebox Piano has helped her discover a personal passion for interactive technology. Sierra continually updates both the appearance and functionality of the Jukebox Piano. Most recently, she used LEDs, a microphone, and other technology to create interactive lights that correspond to the music being played. Sirerra is a founder of and active participant in the Makerettes, a group that aims to expand the role of young women within the larger Baltimore tech community. She has given two TEDxYouth@Baltimore talks and is an active participant in tech outreach through reverse mentoring opportunities, such as helping to answer tech questions from new Teach for America teachers.
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