華人之光, 後生可畏: Catherine Wong, a finalist in Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, got award and scholarship

While attending the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) at David Lawrence Convention Center at Pittsburgh, Katy focused on the 兩岸三地 (Taiwan, Hong Kong and China) finalists; I explored and looked for something that interested me.  I was amazed at the ingenuity and sophistication of the projects.  I saw several biological science projects that involve MAP kinase pathway (the finalist is from Taiwan) and tyrosine kinase receptor of the signal transduction.

The science of many of the 1,500 first-rate science projects is beyond me.  I am going to talk about the project by Catherine Wong (王安怡) from Morristown High School, New Jersey.  She is the granddaughter of our good friends, Sandra and Charles.

She constructs a machine from scratch, using Bluetooth-capable wireless cell phone to transmit electrocardiograph or EKG (see photos).  Familiar with the EKG though I may be, the engineering part of the design is beyond me.  It has a Bluetooth-enabled microprocessor board to process the analog EKG signal and instrumentation amplifier circuitry.  She even develops multiple prototype amplification circuits to minimize electrical noise interference.  A Java platform was developed in the receiver cell-phone to graphically display dynamic EKG output.  (I do not fully understand this part; does every cell-phone have a “Java platform”?)

This device targets an impoverished or inaccessible areas with limited medical care.  However, a cell-phone is almost ubiquitously available.  It allows a remotely-located physician to diagnose the cardiac rhythm disturbance based on the EKG transmitted by a cell-phone.  There are many potential uses of this technology even in the developed countries.

Catherine Wong was awarded $4,500 and the offer of scholarship.  A hearty congratulation for an invention that helps the care for the heart.

We feel mighty proud for her achievement just because we are the friends of her grandparents.  I cannot imagine how proud Sandra and Charles are!  It is no wonder that her invention won the top award at all levels of competition through regional, state and national, all the way to Intel ISEF!  
 

Please read the online version of Katy's dispatch to the World Journal (世界日報),

http://www.worldjournal.com/view/aUSnews/18657002/article--%E8%8F%AF%E4%BA%BA%E4%B9%8B%E5%85%89-%E8%8B%B1%E7%89%B9%E7%88%BE%E7%A7%91%E5%AD%B8%E7%8D%8E-%E8%8F%AF%E7%94%9F%E8%80%80%E7%9C%BC?instance=us2

華人之光! 英特爾科學獎 華生耀眼

記者張瓊月賓州匹茲堡報導 世界新聞網 北美華文新聞、華商資訊

May 19, 2012 06:01 AM

英特爾國際科學展(Intel International Science and Engineering Fair，簡稱ISEF) 本周在匹茲堡舉辦，18日會期最後一天頒獎。來自兩岸三地的學生及來自美國各地的華裔學生，得到多項大獎，表現亮麗。

這是目前全球規模最大、也是唯一針對全球初中與高中學生舉行的國際性科學賽事，來自全球50國的1500位青少年科學家一同角逐科學榮譽。

今年「英特爾國際科學展」，聚集全球的青少年科學家，分享理念、展示先進科學以及角逐獎學金。大會最大獎7萬5000元，由馬里蘭州的15歲美國學生傑克．安德拉卡(Jack Andraka) 以預測胰臟癌的研究獲獎。

第三大獎荷西巴克獎 [Dudley Herschbach Award--1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry] 的三位得獎人，將獲免費前往參加諾貝爾頒獎觀禮，其中一位是紐約史岱文森高中華裔女學生范惠惠(Huihui Fan，譯音)。

多名華裔學生獲得獎項，包括新澤西州摩利斯城高中華裔學生王安怡(Catherine Wong)， 她以利用無線電手機傳播心電圖的設計，讓醫師可以遠距診斷心律不整，共得到4500元獎金。
 

紐約布碌崙詹姆斯．麥迪遜高中的的黃駿達，也以研究二次字符和重複小數之間的關係，得到第二獎。

大會頒發各項獎金數額，第一名為3000元、第二名1500元、第三名1000元、第四名500元。得第一名的學生，就讀的學校另給1000元獎勵。

台北建中學生蘇子軒與商廣明，展示牛樟芝對人類乳癌細胞活性抑制研究，包辦醫療與健康科學兩項特別獎，及大會二等獎。獎金1500。北一女學生謝庭軒則以果蠅單眼的發育調控基因篩選，得到大會第二獎。台灣學生還得到多項特別獎。  

中國大陸學生中，安徽蚌阜徐玉華以研究蜜蜂如何避免農藥毒害，得到第一獎。

四川成都樹德中學郭晶晶、馮卓立與田園，在四川大學研究以電腦小晶片埋到土地，依濕度警告泥石流將發生的預警系統，得到第二獎。北京交通大學附屬中學的陳賓，研究用手機按鍵的文件保密櫃得到第二獎。

上海師範大學附屬中學雷鎮東，以研究分子排序和高選擇性甲烷探測器，以及上海美國學校浦西校區鑫凱文，以微生物學研究，分獲第二獎。另外，有多名學生得到第三獎、第四獎及特別獎。

香港獲獎者包括衛晉(禾康)、袁健康、雷逸文，以化學檢測酸鹼毒氣警告器得到第二獎。黃耀德、潘駿生、崔雍建以光合微生物紙狀燃料電池得到第二獎。另有學生獲得第三獎。