16-year-old Wins $75,000 for Her Award-Winning Discovery That Could Help Revolutionize Biomedical Implants

Grace Sun, credit – Society for Science

First prize in the USA’s largest and most prestigious science fair has gone to a 16-year-old girl who found new ways to optimize the components of biomedical implants, promising a future of safer, faster, and longer-lasting versions of these critical devices.

It’s not the work of science fiction; bioelectronic implants like the pacemaker have been around for decades, but also suffer from compatibility issues interfacing with the human body.

On Friday, Grace Sun from Lexington, Kentukcy, pocketed $75,000 and was recognized among 2,000 of the nation and the world’s top STEM students as having produced the “number one project.”

The award was given through the Society for Science’s Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair, one of the largest and most prestigious in the world.

Sun’s work focused on improving the capabilities of organic electrochemical transistors or OECTs, which like other devices made of silicon, are soft, flexible, and present the possibility of more complex implants for use in the brain or the heart.

“They have performance issues right now,” Sun told Business Insider of the devices. “They have instability in the body. You don’t want some sort of implanted bioelectronic to degrade in your body.”

Sensitive OECTs could detect proteins or nucleic acids in sweat, blood, or other transporters that correspond to diseases in their earliest stages. They could replace more invasive implants like the aforementioned pacemaker, and offer unprecedented ways to track biomarkers such as blood glucose, circulating white blood cell count, or blood-alcohol content, which could be useful for people with autoimmunity, epilepsy, or diabetes.

“This was our number one project, without a shadow of a doubt,” Ian Jandrell, a judging co-chair for the materials science category at ISEF, told Business Insider about Sun’s research.

“It was crystal clear that that room was convinced that this was a significant project and worthy of consideration for a very top award because of the contribution that was made.”Sun says she is looking to develop the OECTs further, hoping to start a business in the not-too-distant future as a means of getting them out into the world and impacting real people as fast as possible. 16-year-old Wins $75,000 for Her Award-Winning Discovery That Could Help Revolutionize Biomedical Implants

Read More........→July 29, 2025

No link between vaccination and sudden cardiac death in youth: Dr Randeep Guleria

New Delhi, (IANS) Former AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria on Friday said that recent studies by ICMR and AIIMS have clearly shown there is no link between COVID-19 vaccination and sudden cardiac deaths among young people.

In an exclusive conversation with IANS, he addressed concerns that have been circulating in various sections of society regarding heart-related deaths after vaccination.

Here are excerpts of the interview:

IANS: The joint study of ICMR and AIIMS has concluded that there’s no link between COVID-19 vaccines and sudden cardiac arrests in youth. How do you see this outcome?

Dr Randeep Guleria: Yes, there has been a lot of concern recently about young people dying from sudden heart problems. Many were wondering if it could be due to the COVID vaccine. But now, studies by ICMR and AIIMS have clearly shown there is no such connection.

From my personal experience as well, we have seen young people suffering from heart issues even before COVID. These were usually linked to genetic factors and major lifestyle changes.

Our eating habits have become unhealthy. The traditional diet of green leafy vegetables and fruits has been replaced by fast food. Physical activity has decreased, especially as more young people now do desk jobs.

This has led to weight gain and obesity. Due to such lifestyle and genetic reasons, heart attacks in our population are happening 10 years earlier than in western countries. So, vaccination is not responsible. The causes are different.

IANS: When and why did people start linking vaccines to heart problems? Do vaccines have any negative effects on the body?

Dr Randeep Guleria: Every medicine, including vaccines, can have some side effects. But since vaccines are given to healthy people, their side effects are monitored very closely.

There are dedicated systems set up by the government, WHO, and other organisations to track this. According to all this data, the side effects of COVID vaccines are very minimal, and the benefits are much greater.

In fact, India was able to fight COVID-19 effectively because of its strong vaccination programme. Two vaccines were launched quickly, and this helped save many lives. So, I would say vaccines were extremely helpful, not harmful.

IANS: What about cases where no clear cause of death is found? The person’s heart and lungs were functioning fine.

Dr Randeep Guleria: Such deaths are unfortunate and worrying. But most of them are still linked to lifestyle problems like unhealthy diet and physical inactivity. Young people need to become more aware. They should exercise, eat healthily, and maintain a good weight. We should return to our traditional Indian food instead of western-style fast food.

As I said earlier, there is no link between the COVID vaccine and such deaths. But yes, it is true that heart problems among young people are rising, and we need to talk more openly and responsibly about this issue.

IANS: What is your view on anti-aging medicines? Should they be banned?

Dr Randeep Guleria: Anti-aging medicine is becoming very popular but it's mostly unregulated. Many of these products are sold without proper scientific studies to prove they work. Some may even have harmful side effects, especially if taken for long periods.

There is definitely a need to regulate such medicines. If there’s no proper evidence about their safety or usefulness, and they are found to be harmful, then yes -- they should be banned. The same applies to other medicines, like muscle-building drugs that are often misused.cardiac death No link between vaccination and sudden cardiac death in youth: Dr Randeep Guleria | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→July 15, 2025