Jack Andraka from Maryland, USA won the 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) top prize (worth over $75,000) for his work in early detection of pancreatic cancer. His method is 28 times faster, 28 times less expensive and 100 times more sensitive than the current gold standard. After his uncle died of pancreatic cancer, he realised that there were no truly effective methods to detecting pancreatic (and some other) cancers early and his test works for both ovarian and lung cancers. He apparently received over a hundred rejection letters before being accepted by Dr. Anirban Maitra, a pathology and oncology professor at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. Watch his hilarious and endearing acceptance video here
More on Jack Andraka on the Society for Science and The Public website
It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it and refuse to give up isn’t it..
MEDICAL MAGICK 