FSU MED Magazine Fall 2019, Vol. 15 | Page 12

p e o p l e a n d p l a c e s Teaching innovation to improve lives Competing as InnoHealth Diagnostics, the team developed an innovative DNA- Medicine’s entrepreneur-in-residence, taught a based diagnostic tool to help safeguard class in biomedical engineering at the FAMU- people from tropical diseases, specifically FSU College of Engineering where the students the tropical parasitic disease schistosomiasis. developed the idea as part of a class project. Also known as “snail fever,” it’s blamed for Rodriguez Pritchard Encouraging future scientists and innovators is part of the job for College of Medicine Rodriguez, an M.D. who is the College of “This technology began with human- causing more than 200,000 deaths a year. An centered design in engineering,” Pritchard estimated 260 million people have been infected said. “Through mentorship at the College worldwide. of Medicine and the Jim Moran School of In Nigeria alone, 100 million people are at Entrepreneurship, it has been refined and research faculty members Cesar Rodriguez risk of infection, and 30 million are suffering focused to reach those affected by this parasitic and Emily Pritchard. Their efforts are being from the disease. It is typically spread by disease.” rewarded. contact with contaminated river water, and A team of students they advise in the Team members Nkechi Emetuche, without treatment snail fever can cause stomach Clarens Jarbath, Jack Robbins and Angela Biomedical Entrepreneurship Mentorship ulcers, bladder cancer and other serious health Udongwo hope their technology will lower the program at the College of Medicine won a problems. rate of schistosomiasis to less than 1 percent in $10,000 grand prize in the FSU InNOLEvation® “InnoHealth demonstrates the effectiveness Challenge competition in April before advancing of interdisciplinary teamwork to achieve broad to the final round of the Atlantic Coast health impacts,” said Pritchard, who holds a Conference InVenture Prize competition. doctorate in biomedical engineering. She and Kano State, Nigeria. They plan to eventually market their product in other countries. ‘Leadership comes from within’ Leadership in Medicine is not like most being in the program but from creating it. for others, collaboration, creative problem- “To see them rise to the occasion and grow Actually, it’s not technically an organization or solving, fostering independence in others, has been very impressive,” he said. “What that club at all, but an academic curriculum developed managing change and more through workshops says to me is leadership comes from within. by students and completed alongside coursework. and roundtable discussions. Certainly we can fine-tune it, but these students Its student founders were Keith Kincaid, Members are also paired with mentors Stephanie Tran, Devan Patel and Farnoosh working in areas like health policy, academic Shariati, who received a grant from the Alpha medicine, community medicine and executive Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society to create medicine. Mentors have included Temple and develop the formalized leadership training Robinson, CEO of Bond Community Health program in 2017. New classes of students Center, and the Florida surgeon general. continue to fine-tune it. “It’s not just student-run, it’s student-created, studying leadership principles like advocating student organizations at the College of Medicine. “LIM has been a huge commitment from Day One, which has been a blessing and a student-developed and student-led. It’s really challenge,” said third-year student Nikki Clark. quite amazing,” said Christopher Mulrooney, “It requires more of your attention than you assistant dean and LIM’s faculty advisor. want to give it sometimes, but I’ve learned that’s Eight third-year students were the first what helps you grow as a leader. Nothing in life to formally apply to become members of happens at the opportune moment, and LIM Leadership in Medicine and complete its has helped me practice for that.” existing curriculum, but they too continue to The students hope LIM will become a formally build and expand the program to include a recognized certification program or distinction roadmap for all four years of medical school. upon graduation. But while it’s still in its infancy, LIM’s curriculum is largely focused on 10 really have an innate desire to be leaders.” Mulrooney said, students benefit not just from Clark