Regional Winners

ReACT-SHM proposes a next-generation structural health monitoring system that moves beyond passive damage detection toward active mitigation. By integrating embedded Fiber Bragg Grating sensors, acoustic emission monitoring, and stress-responsive nanoscale agents, the system detects early microcrack formation and locally reinforces high-risk regions within concrete. This hierarchical, physics-guided approach aims to slow damage progression, reduce maintenance costs, enhance safety, and extend infrastructure lifespan.

SYNCARDIA is a non-invasive cardiac regeneration platform designed to repair the heart after a myocardial infarction (heart attack). Using ultrasound-guided lipid nanoparticles and mechanical sensing, it converts scar-forming fibroblasts into electrically integrated heart muscle cells directly within injured tissue. By restoring contractile function while reducing arrhythmia risk, SYNCARDIA aims to move heart attack treatment beyond damage control toward biological repair, with the potential to significantly reduce heart failure and sudden cardiac death.

Students from Green Level High School developed a mobile app using artificial intelligence to detect osteosarcoma—the most common bone cancer in children—from simple X-rays. The innovation addresses a critical healthcare gap in developing countries, where 81% of cases are diagnosed too late. Using just a smartphone, healthcare providers receive instant diagnostic support with 93.75% accuracy, helping identify malignant tumors earlier. This portable, affordable solution could save countless young lives by reducing dangerous diagnosis delays from months to minutes.

Migraines are episodes that are part of a neurological disorder preceded by a wave of abnormal neural activity called cortical spreading depression, which contributes to visual disturbances such as aura. Current migraine detection methods rely on indirect physiological measures or symptom reporting and cannot predict attacks before pain begins. AuraLens addresses this by continuously measuring retinal blood flow and related ocular neural signals that can predict migraine attacks before the symptoms start.

NeuroShield is a future-ready biomedical protection system designed to stop viruses from reaching the brain before neurological damage begins. By combining early molecular detection, targeted receptor-blocking biologics, and smart nanotechnology, NeuroShield intercepts neuroinvasive pathogens during the critical early stages of infection. Unlike traditional treatments that respond after symptoms appear, this platform anticipates viral behavior and creates a temporary protective barrier at the blood–brain interface. NeuroShield represents a new approach to safeguarding neurological health during emerging outbreaks.

Dermaplex is an adaptive microneedle patch for burn scar treatment. Dissolving microneedles made from hyaluronic acid and polyvinylpyrrolidone deliver anti-scarring medication over 12-24 hours, while embedded biosensors monitor inflammation and healing progress. An AI system trained on diverse skin tones personalizes treatment timing through a smartphone app.