Medical Device Development Center

BEST Medicine

BEST LogoCONGRATULATIONS to all of our 2012 Winners! (click on the Awards tab below to see the full list of winners)

The BEST Medicine engineering fair, Northeast Ohio’s premier engineering fair devoted exclusively to students interested in exploring biomedical engineering, brings together the most talented and innovative students to interact with each other and with leaders in medical device research and development. 

BEST Medicine was put together by the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA) to stimulate the interest and participation in science among young students, promote exchanges among youth with interests in becoming physician scientists or biomedical engineers, and to help educators worldwide to motivate their students to get interested in science!

The 2012 BEST Medicine Engineering Fair will feature a keynote presentation by Bill Memberg, a Cleveland Plain Dealer "Community Hero of Northeast Ohio" who runs RePlay for Kids, a nonprofit agency specializing in the adaptation of toys for children with disabilities and serves as a Senior Biomedical Engineer at the Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) Center. Learn more.

Attention Teachers: See the BEST Medicine team at the Ohio Connects 2012 Educational Technology Conference February 13-15, 2012.

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About BEST Medicine

National Inventors Hall of FameThe Bridging Engineering, Science and Technology (BEST) Medicine engineering fair is an event hosted by the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA) to inspire students to participate in the biomedical engineering and medical science fields.  It was put together by ABIA to stimulate the interest and participation in science among young students, promote exchanges among youth with interests in becoming physician scientists or biomedical engineers, and to help educators worldwide to motivate their students to get interested in science.

The 2012 BEST Medicine Engineering Fair will take place on Saturday, March 24, 2012 at the National Inventors’ Hall of Fame® School in Akron, Ohio hosting students grades 6-12 with science projects relating to biomedical science and engineering, within the approved categories.  

For more information on BEST Medicine, contact us.

Projects for participation in BEST Medicine must fall under the following categories:

Biomaterials

Biomaterials/Polymer Medicine: A natural or synthetic material (as a metal or polymer) that is suitable for introduction into living tissue especially as part of a medical device (as an artificial joint). Medicine dealing with a chemical compound or mixture of compounds formed by polymerization and consisting essentially of repeating structural units.

Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular/ Soft Tissue Wound Healing: Of, relating to, or involving the heart and blood vessels.  The healing of an injury to the body (as from violence, accident or surgery) that typically involves laceration or breaking of a membrane (as the skin) and usually damage to underlying tissues.
 Clinical Trials  Clinical Trials: A scientifically controlled study of the safety and effectiveness of a therapy using consenting human subjects (Note that Institution Review Board (IRB) approval is required – even for studies that involve surveys).
Health and Medicine Health/Medicine: The study of health and disease in humans or animals, including disease diagnosis, causes of disease, ways of treating disease, medical procedures, alternative therapies for diseases or the way in which the human or animal body functions normally.
 Modeling and Simulation Modeling/Simulation/Medical IT: The use of a device to imitate or represent reality. Examples include computer models of human physiology simulation methods to test a new medical device or biomechanical models.  Medical technology involving the development, maintenance, and use of computer systems, software and networks for the processing and distribution of data.
 Musculoskeletal Orthopaedics Musculoskeletal: Of, relating to, or involving both musculature and skeleton. A branch of medicine concerned with the correction or prevention of deformities, disorders, or injuries of the skeleton and associated structures (as tendons and ligaments).
 Sensors and Imaging Sensors/Imaging: Methods for obtaining measurements of key importance to health. Examples include blood pressure measurements, ultrasound and temperature monitoring.
   Value-driven Engineering: Redesigning an essential medical device, and making it less complex at a price they can afford, without compromising quality.

 

Eligibility

BEST Medicine is open to middle and high school students in any public, private, parochial or home school in Northeast Ohio including Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Holmes, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Richland, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas and Wayne counties. 

A maximum of 15 projects can be entered from any high school, and a maximum of 12 projects can be submitted from any middle school. A student may enter BEST Medicine as an independent if his/her school does not conduct a school-wide science fair, but they must have submitted at least one previous science fair project and the limits per school still apply.  If your school does not conduct a science fair, please contact the email below, and we can work with you to coordinate through the Akron Public Schools science fair.

Students may only submit one project to BEST Medicine. Students cannot resubmit a previous year’s project unless it has been substantially expanded and re-developed.

Group projects are accepted at BEST Medicine.

All projects at BEST Medicine are subject to the review of the Scientific Review Committee (SRC).  Projects which do not adhere to correct scientific principles or which involve inadequate protection of human or animal subjects may be disqualified. Students can assume approval of their project unless they are contacted by BEST Medicine.

For further questions as to your eligibility, please email Rita Filer at RFiler@abiakron.org.

Awards

Thanks to a generous donation by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, the 2012 BEST Medicine Engineering Fair top prize will win a spot in the Intel ISEF Science Fair.

2012 BEST Medicine Awards

Congratulations "BEST Medicine" Engineering Fair Award Winners!

Category Awards

CATEGORY AWARDS

Biomaterials/Polymer Medicine (9 - 12)                                

GOLD                    Gurbani Kaur, Hathaway Brown School

SILVER                  Vincenzo Volpe, St. Vincent - St. Mary High School

BRONZE               John Friess, St. Vincent - St. Mary High School

 

Clinical Trials (7 - 8)                                         

GOLD                    Vinayak D. Kurup, Birchwood School

SILVER                  Melissa Chi & Michaela Giltner (TEAM 9), St. Hilary School

BRONZE               John Mhanna, St. Francis of Assisi

 

Devices for Physically Impaired (Grade 6)                                            

GOLD                    Emily Brazytis, Our Lady of the Lake

SILVER                 Ashley Champa, Saint John of the Cross

BRONZE               Reaghan Zele, Our Lady of the Lake

 

Health/Medicine (7 - 8)                                

GOLD                    Rachel Caprini, Solon Middle School

SILVER                  Paarth Sharma, Incarnate Word Academy

BRONZE               Lily Sargent, St. Joseph School

 

Health/Medicine (9 - 12)                                              

GOLD                    Logan O'Keefe & Jamie Shultz (TEAM 13), Hudson High School

SILVER                  Ingrid Zippe, Hathaway Brown School

BRONZE               Danielle Dejak, Beaumont School

 

Health/Medicine (Grade 6)                                        

GOLD                    Jackson Tankersley, National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM School

SILVER                  Robby Petrunic, Saint John of the Cross

BRONZE               Jonathan Pomnean, Ss. Robert and William Catholic School

 

Medical Device Design (Grade 6)                                             

GOLD                    Alia Basar, Saint John of the Cross

SILVER                  Jonah Brokamp, Saint John of the Cross

BRONZE               Brian Mingus & Ojas Nadkarni (TEAM 15), Menlo Park Academy

               

NEOMED Musculoskeletal (7 - 8)                                              

GOLD                    Swathi Srinivasan, Beachwood Middle School

SILVER                  Amogh Iyer, Solon Middle School

BRONZE               Amanda Trump, Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts

 

NEOMED Musculoskeletal (9 - 12)                              

GOLD                    Joseph Anand & Sam Elliot (TEAM 4), Anand Homeschool Academy

SILVER                  Anisha Basu, Hudson High School

BRONZE               Iulia Barbur, Hudson High School

 

NEOMED Musculoskeletal (Grade 6)                                      

GOLD                    Mar Lin & Camryn Woodley (TEAM 12), National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM School

SILVER                  Anthony Semerano, Saint John of the Cross

BRONZE               Jessica Sanson, Our Lady of the Lake

 

Sensors /Electronics (9 - 12)                                       

GOLD                    Alice Catanzaro, Hathaway Brown School

SILVER                 William Jack, Hudson High School

BRONZE               Krish Shah, Westlake High School

 

Soft/Flexible Materials (6 - 7)                                    

GOLD                    Thomas Searle, National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM School

SILVER                  Julie Trevarthen, Ss. Robert and William Catholic School

BRONZE               Taylor Molson,  Saint John of the Cross

 

Value-driven Engineering (7 - 8)                                        

GOLD                    Harrison Fisher, Sonny Kim & Edward Matyja (TEAM 10), Stanton Middle School

SILVER                 David Herr, Litchfield Middle School

BRONZE               Daniel Hebert, National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM School

 

Value-driven Engineering (9 - 12)                                             

GOLD                    Sasha Kovalchick, St. Vincent - St. Mary High School

SILVER                 Shivani Bafna, Solon High School

BRONZE               Rachel Anand, Anand Homeschool Academy

 

Value-driven Engineering (Grade 6)                                       

GOLD                    Daniel Anand, Anand Homeschool Academy

SILVER                  Madison Anderson, National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM School

BRONZE               Sarah Petersen, Saint John of the Cross

 

 

Grand Prizes

Women in High Places $2k internship at ABIA                      Alex Pianalto

$2k internship at ABIA                                                             Sasha Kovalchick

UA $1k scholarship                                                                  Danielle Dejak

UA $1k scholarship                                                                  Gurbani Kaur

BDM Foundation trip to Intel                                                    William Jack

                               

Special Awards      

           

LRI & Plastics News Awards (Individual)                

6th Grade                           

Top prize $75 – BME                                     Alia Basar

Second prize $50 - Plastics News               Daniel Anand

Third prize $25 - BME                                   Emily Brazytis                    

7-10th grade                     

Top prize $75 – BME                                     Vinayak D. Kurup

Second prize $50 - Plastics News               Anne O'Brien

Third prize 25 - BME                                     Rachel Anand

 

Group Prizes                      

Top 9-12 group – $100 LRI                             Logan O'Keefe & Jamie Shultz (TEAM 13)

Top 6-8 group – $100 LRI                               Harrison Fisher, Sonny Kim & Edward Matyja (TEAM 10)

                               

Tech Equipment Awards            

6th grade                            Mar Lin & Camryn Woodley (TEAM 12)

7th grade                            David Herr

8th grade                            Rachel Caprini

9th grade                            Joseph Anand & Sam Elliot (TEAM 4)

10th grade                          Shivani Bafna

11th grade                          Ingrid Zippe

12th grade                          Angela Blatz

 

Chemistry Prizes   

Chemical Society 6-8 grade - $50               John Mhanna

Chemical Society 9-12 grade - $50             Alice Catanzaro

Denise Richardson                                       Trishna Desai

                        

ZIN (Judge - Shaun Davis)          

$50 – best use of KNEX                                  Harrison Fisher, Sonny Kim & Edward Matyja (TEAM 10)

$50 – best use of KNEX                                  Sara Darowich

$50 – best presentation                                   Erika Klek

$50 – best presentation                                   Amanda Trump

 

Best School                                          St. John of the Cross

 
Honorable Mention
 

Alati, DeAirre

Alniemi, Abrar

Alvarez, Benito

Anand, Daniel

Anand, Joseph

Anand, Rachel

Anderson, Madison

Ashdown, Rose

Bafna, Shivani

Baker, Emily

Barbur, Iulia

Basar, Alia

Basu, Anisha

Bilich, Jacob

Blase, Schenley

Blatz, Angela

Brazytis, Emily

Bretz, Meghan

Brokamp, Jonah

Brown, Kevin

Buse, Fred

Caprini, Rachel

Catanzaro, Alice

Champa, Ashley

Chari, Priyakrit

Chi, Melissa

Clemens, Samson

Crawford, Kelsey

Cundiff, Maya

Danda, Avinash

Darowich, Sara

Dejak, Danielle

Desai, Trishna

Dies, Matthew

Elliot, Sam

Engels, Katherine

Estacio, Neil Patrick

Fink, Morgan Christina

Fisher, Harrison

Friess, John

Frohring, Kaylee

Furlan, Antonia

Gagnon, Patrick

Gibbons, Jack

Giles, John

Giltner, Michaela

Guo, Joyce

Hankins, Katie

Hebert, Daniel

Herr, David

Heyl, Megan

Hongosh, Anna

Hurley, John

Iyer, Amogh

Jack, William

Jerme, Christopher

Johnson, Emily

Johnson, Kate

Jones, Brooke

Kaur, Gurbani

Kim, Sonny

Kime, Winnifred

King, Julia

Klek, Erika

Kless, Sean

Kosco, Sam

Kovalchick, Sasha

Kurup, Vinayak D

Leary, Nicholas

Leksan, Jacob

Lin, Mar

Majc, Natalie

Majumdar, Ronit

Mal-Sarkar, Tatini

Matecun, Chase

Matyja, Edward

Mazur, Alexander

McGhee-Haggins, Evan

Mhanna, John

Mingus, Brian

Molson, Taylor

Nadkarni, Ojas

Neal, Katelyn

Neill, Nicholas

O’Brien, Anne

O’Keefe, Logan

Owens, Stephen

Ozgur, Zeyd

Perrotti, Paul

Petersen, Sarah

Petrich, Adam

Petrunic, Robby

Pianalto, Alex

Pomnean, Jonathan

Quinlan, Dana

Ranallo, Robert

Rich, Sean

Rich, Jacob

Roland, Claire

Rosace, Lucia

Sanson, Jessica

Sargent, Lily

Searle, Thomas

Semerano, Anthony

Shah, Krish

Shultz, Jamie

Srinivasan, Swathi

Stallworth, Kayla

Stamer, Julianne

Stessney, Kaitlin

Tankersley, Jackson

Tindel, Arielle

Trevarthen, Julie

Trump, Amanda

Turner, Selena

Volpe, Vincenzo

Weathers, Isaiah

Williams, Terynn

Woodley, Camryn

Workman, Zachary

Zele, Reaghan

Zippe, Ingrid

 

Resources

Project Ideas

Use this list of project ideas and website links to help you come up with your own BEST Medicine project, to begin brainstorming a new project, or take a stab at a project on the list!

Download 2012 Project Ideas (PDF) and Medical Technology Project Ideas by Dr. Erin Gaugler (PDF)

Helpful Links

Use these helpful links and publications to learn more about Biomedical Engineering, Engineering Fairs, or just to read up about Biomedical Innovation.

Download Helpful Publications (PDF)

Contact Us

For questions, or more information on the "BEST Medicine" Engineering Fair, contact Rita Filer at (330)572-7553 or RFiler@abiakron.org.

Document Library

Download 2012 BEST Medicine flyer (PDF)

Download 2012 BEST Medicine Forms Handbook* (PDF)

Download BEST Medicine 2012 Handbook (PDF)

Download BEST Medicine 2012 Rules and Regulations (PDF)

*The 2012 BEST Medicine Forms Handbook is currently being updated.  Please check back at a later date to download the 2012 Forms Handbook.

Rules & Guidelines

Understanding the rules and guidelines, and properly completing all of the paperwork is an important and necessary part of completing your BEST Medicine project.

Please download the 2012 BEST Medicine Rules and Regulations (PDF) for all of the guidelines you’ll need to follow to compete in BEST Medicine.

Please download the 2012 BEST Medicine Handbook (PDF) for a complete packet of information, and rules for BEST Medicine.

Please download the 2012 BEST Medicine Forms Handbook* (PDF) for a complete packet of forms needed to register for BEST Medicine

*The 2012 BEST Medicine Forms Handbook is currently being updated.  Please check back at a later date to download the 2012 Forms Handbook.

Past Fairs

Thank you to all who participated in the inaugural BEST Medicine Engineering Fair on April 2, 2011 at the National Inventors Hall of Fame® School in Akron!  This year's event was a great success.

Awards

Congratulations to all of our 2011 BEST Medicine award winners!  View those who won in 2011.

News

BEST Medicine Engineering Fair in the media:

Photos

Visit the BEST Medicine Facebook page for a complete album from the 2011 BEST Medicine fair.

 

ABIA is a unique collaboration of:
Akron Children's Hospital Summa Health System John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Akron General Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) The University of Akron

Copyright © 2010 Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron