The Intel Talent Search Contest this year was dominated by the Indian-American students as two of them won the contest in innovation and research categories. Four other Indian scholars bagged second and third places.

The prestigious Intel Talent Search Contest gives out prizes in three categories – Basic Research, Innovation, and Global Good. Out of the three three-place awards, the first place of two of them was secured by Indian-Americans. Amol Punjabi achieved the First Place Medal of Distinction for Basic Research and Maya Varma earned the First Place Medal of Distinction for Innovation.

This was true for the second and third places for all three categories. Paige Brown from Maine acquired the First Place Medal of Distinction for Global Good.

Amol Punjabi, the First Place Medal of Distinction for Basic Research winner developed a software that can aid drug makers in developing new therapies for cancer and heart disease. He has research publications on nanoparticles in two Journals. This 17-year-old is from Massachusetts.

Maya Varma is another Indian-American who is also 17-year-old. He is from California. He utilized free computer-aided design tools and hobbyist electronics worth only $35 for creating smartphone-based lung function analyser that is cost-effective and can diagnose lung disease. The device is so effective that it can work as accurately as expensive devices that are used in laboratories at present. Almost all of the participants had proposed excellent solutions for the present as well as future problems.

Maya Ajmera, the president and CEO of Society for Science & the Public and alumna of the Science Talent Search said that all the winners of Science Talent Search) 2016 are utilizing science and technology for addressing the issues they see in the present world and they will be in a leading position to create solutions for future problems.

The top awardees received USD 150,000, second-place winners received USD 75,000 and three third-place winners received awards of USD 35,000.

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