Did you know that amongst the sea of people roaming the halls each day, there are two very bright stars that seem to shine above the rest? That have achieved something throughout their high school academic career that most of us will most likely reach?
Two of Lamar’s very own students have gotten the opportunity to be represented at the national scale. Let us dive into their achievements and meet the person behind the success.
Nola Chang
Nola Chang, a junior, was able to take a common problem and transform it into something designed to help millions of people across the world.
After being introduced to the idea of developing a medical device at a Rice University camp over the summer, Chang and her partner Anne Chen, were given three days to create and test a device to help aid or care for any disorder of their choice. Sleep apnea is when your breathing seems to stop repeatedly during sleep, and in some instances causes your airways to collapse or be blocked, it is estimated that over 936 million individuals around the world struggle with it.
Although being the most prevalent sleep disorder, it continues to be extremely underdiagnosed, and is often misdiagnosed for other conditions such as diabetes, low testosterone, or gastroesophageal reflux disease; a crucial detail that Chang says helped them decide and determine the subject of their medical device.
Chang explains that the project focuses on measuring vital signs, particularly blood oxygen levels, to help aid in the accurate diagnosis of sleep apnea. “Our device is based on how the body takes in things such as your temperature, BPM, and blood oxygen, which is important as it is what helps us diagnose sleep apnea,” says Chang.
Despite the project being originally rejected by MIT, the duo persevered and applied to present at the conference for a second time, which yielded positive results for the pair. When reminiscing on that fateful day, “I still believe that it is unreal, that my partner and I, and our work together were able to create something like this.” recalled Chang. But regardless of no current concrete plans for the device’s release, Chang says that there are demos in the works, specifically being targeted and made for individuals in underfunded communities. Through their target audience, the cost also played a huge role in ensuring the accuracy of the device, “The reasons why we’re able to argue for our product is because of those overnight stays at the hospital that cost you thousands of dollars, whereas ours is an overnight device that you’re able to do at home for less than 100 dollars,” explained Chang. However, it is important to take note that the purpose of the device is to serve a simple screening, and not a diagnosis. “It’s mostly just to get ahead in their diet screening, so they can begin looking at treatment plans or tell their healthcare provider,” she explains.
Chang and Chen will be presenting their device from Oct. 11-13, and plan on making both connections, but also educating others on not only the innovation of their product but also the importance it holds for countless individuals. To anyone who aspires to have their research turn into a reality. “Just go for it, never doubt yourself, apply for everything, and keep going, and you’ll find some type of result,” says Chang.
Aidan Takeda
Aidan Takeda, a senior, was able to take a blast to the past this past summer through his investigative scientific research to uncover the secrets of hundreds of millions of years ago.
Through GeoForce, a University of Texas youth education program, Takeda was able to choose between a set of research-based questions that focused on various concepts that dealt with the environment, natural resources, and minerals.
Takeda and his group specifically centered around what had transpired beneath the surface of our vast oceans through anoxic events; which is a period in Earth’s history where large parts of the ocean became extremely low in oxygen. Due to this, it caused vast “dead zones” where the majority of the marine life inhabiting the area couldn’t survive, and is often linked to major climate changes that led to mass extinction. “Anoxic events affect the oceanic landscape in more ways than just one, and by understanding the past we can understand a little bit more about the future,” explains Takeda.
Throughout five days, the group was able to analyze the core of a rock, and each layer from a specific period, which gave insight into specific events, such as volcanic eruptions and what caused them to take place.
After presenting at UT over the summer, Takeda was then selected to represent GeoForce on the national scale at the American Geophysical Union conference taking place in December, in Washington D.C. AGU continues to remain one of the most important and largest geology conferences in the United States.
“I feel very honored and excited, it feels great being the chosen one out of my group to present our research and represent GeoForce,” he said. But this project didn’t only yield answers from the past, but also helped Takeda decide what’s next for him after high school, as he plans on pursuing a career in geology, particularly in the oil and gas sector.
