Design by Biomedical Undergraduate (DEBUT) Challenge

NIMHD funds the DEBUT Healthcare Technologies for Low-Resource Settings prize, which challenges the next generation of biomedical engineers to develop technology solutions to meet the health care needs of underrepresented populations in low-resource settings. Learn more about DEBUT.

2024 NIMHD Prize for Healthcare Technologies for Low-Resource Settings

Winner: Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Project Title: A Gold Nanoparticle Solution for Non-Invasive Lead-in-Saliva Testing (NanoLIST)

NanoLIST is a rapid and inexpensive test kit for the detection of elevated lead concentrations in saliva. There are significant disparities in lead exposure and related health outcomes, where children from racial and ethnic minority and/or low socioeconomic status populations are at higher risk. The NanoLIST kit is self-contained, requiring no additional reagents to function, and is designed to prevent any leakage, allowing for safe use and simple disposal without the assistance of a clinician.

Team Members: Ruchira Hariharan, Ariella Avigad, Francesca Azzarito, Viviana Esquivel, Sophia Hertel, Kendal Phinney, Nathan Palmuttam, Aiko Shibata

Press release, Aug. 26, 2024: NIH Prize Challenge Recognizes Undergraduate Biomedical Engineers for Innovative Medical Device Designs

All 2024 DEBUT Challenge winners

About DEBUT

The Design by Biomedical Undergraduate (DEBUT) Challenge is an annual contest that recognizes undergraduate excellence in biomedical design and innovation. The challenge is open to teams of undergraduate students developing technology to address unmet health and clinical problems.

DEBUT is supported by NIH and VentureWell and is led by the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB). NIMHD partners with NIBIB to support the DEBUT Healthcare Technologies for Low-Resource Settings prize, which is focused on advancing health care for underrepresented populations in low resource settings in the U.S.

Page updated Aug. 27, 2024