Student Opportunities for Development at D-Lab and IIH

D-Lab and Innovations in International Health (IIH) have just opened 7 positions for MIT students. Contact Jose Gomez-Marquez at jfgm < at > mit or Anna Young akyoung < at > mit for more information.

Background

90% of all medical devices sent to developing countries fail within 6 months, because they were never designed to operate in those environments. Appropriate biomedical technology is an important and comparatively unexplored field of engineering compared to other developing world technologies. We are developing a set of field deployable prototyping kits for doctors and healthcare workers in poor countries to create their own medical devices. The project has realtime stakeholders in Nicaragua through a set of classes being launched in early October in six different technology modules:

• Drug Delivery Devices
• Diagnostics
• Microfluidics
• Vital Signs
• Prosthetic Design
• Mobile and Telemedical Technology

NEW!!! Technology Transfer and International Development Experience--Diagnostics and Microfluidics Educational Technology Assistant

Do you like developing technology that makes an impact in the developing world? Would you enjoy understanding and playing part in the policy and strategic insight around international technology transfer?

The Innovations in International Health group at MIT is developing a series of biomedical education kits that would allow you to do both. An important part of our research focuses on biomedical innovation on appropriate medical technology in the developing world. We are developing a series of biomedical education kits, including a diagnostic plug-and-play platform using custom assays, sensors and telemedical instruments. You will be part of a team that explores novel ways to of implementing and contributing to our diagnostic and microfluidic learning platform. We seek someone that has an interest in international development, global health, and technology transfer strategy with a background in course 5, 7, 10, 14, 20.

Part of the project involves assisting in the design and assembly of our diagnostic, microfluidic and drug delivery kits. This will involve developing diagnostic assays that be used as building blocks for learning how to put together lateral flow and lab on a chip diagnostics.

The second part involves understanding the international development strategy of their deployment. You will learn how to create global health communication materials such as case studies, articles, multimedia and Web 2.0 materials for international development organizations such as the WHO, World Bank, and USAID.

Project exposure will lead to experience in addressing issues such as

·      Why do most of the 90% of medical devices that end up in poor countries fail within 6 months?
·      What are the attributes behind successful biomedical designs for developing countries?
·      What are the policy, regulatory and patent implications of homegrown medical devices?
·      How are local medical innovators in developing countries empowered to create their own medical technologies?
·      When can these inspire South-South South-North technology transfer?

Interdisciplinary--development economics, global health, biomedical technology

Prerequisites: Interest in global health and life science or chemistry lab experience preferred.  Some Spanish language skills are preferred, but not required. This is a fall position with the opportunity to continue in the IAP and spring. Please send a 200 word writing sample to akyoung@mit.edu for consideration.

International Development Policy/Behavioral Economics/Science Journalism: Evaluating Technological Innovation Among Healthcare Professionals in Nicaragua

Why do most of the 90% of medical devices that end up in poor countries fail within 6 months? What are the attributes behind successful biomedical designs for developing countries? What are the policy and regulatory implications of homegrown medical devices? How are local medical innovators in developing countries empowered to create their own medical technologies? These are the types of question that our research group explores using on-site visits and biomedical education kits. We seek self-motivated and analytical students to implement and analyze a research project evaluating the level of innovation among healthcare professionals in Nicaragua. As part of an interdisciplinary team, the student will be involved with crafting case studies and health technology briefs from the work in Nicaragua. This project is supported by the Inter-American Development Bank.

Interdisciplinary--development economics, global health, biomedical technology

Prerequisites: Interest in global health and experience with survey implementation and analysis. Some Spanish language skills are preferred, but not required. This is a fall position with the opportunity to continue in the IAP and spring. Please send a 200 word writing sample to akyoung@mit.edu for consideration.

Mechanical Design (Educational Tools)

IIH is looking for a strongly motivated student to help design and build learning modules for biomedical device kits that will be deployed in Nicaragua. One component of the kit is to remove the mystery surrounding medical technologies by clearly demonstrating the concepts behind them. The student would research vital signs technologies, including ultrasounds, and develop a low-cost, interactive learning tool. We are looking for someone with experience in mechanical and/or electrical design, and an interest in international development and medical technology.

Microcontroller Applications Designer

Project Description: 90% of all medical devices sent to developing countries fail within 6 months, because they were never designed to operate in those environments. Appropriate biomedical technology is an important and comparatively unexplored field of engineering compared to other developing world technologies. We are developing a set of field deployable prototyping kits for doctors and healthcare workers in poor countries to create their own medical devices. An important part of the project involves the design of a platform for measuring vital signs, connecting them with telemedicine instruments, and applying them to patient simulators that allow doctors to practice emergency scenarios such as C-sections and intubations.

We seek a motivated student with experience in building microcontroller-driven devices that can talk to a number of customized sensors and feedback actuators being developed by our team.  You will closely work with project mentors and a multidisciplinary team to create, modify, and invent novel medical device components for use in developing countries. You will learn about vital signs sensing, patient simulation, and biomedical design for the developing world.

Prerequisites: Basic understanding of electronics and microcontroller engineering principles preferred. No prior lab experience necessary, but candidates with previous multidisciplinary projects are welcome. Registration in D-Lab ICT highly encouraged.

This is a fall position with the opportunity to continue in the IAP and spring.

Biosensor Designer (Two openings)

Project Description: 90% of all medical devices sent to developing countries fail within 6 months, because they were never designed to operate in those environments. Appropriate biomedical technology is an important and comparatively unexplored field of engineering compared to other developing world technologies. We are developing a set of field deployable prototyping kits for doctors and healthcare workers in poor countries to create their own medical devices. An important part of the project involves the design of a platform for measuring vital signs, connecting them with telemedicine instruments, and applying them to simulation technologies that allow doctors to practice emergency scenarios such as C-sections and intubations.

We have an opening for 2 motivated students to assist the project in designing, prototyping, and testing a series of biomedical sensors that collect physiological parameters such as: Oxygen saturation, ECG, Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, Respiration, Temperature, Contractions, Optical and electrochemical stimuli.

Successful designs will plug and play with the rest of our prototyping platform and will be easily embeddable in conventional medical devices (stethoscopes, bandages, pregnancy belts) and unconventional objects (stuffed animals, inhalers, objects in daily life that will interact with patients).

Prerequisites: Experience with designing, prototyping, testing and debugging electronic circuits (e.g. embedded systems combining analog circuitry, digital circuitry and wireless communications). Experience with wireless sensors or protocols helpful (e.g. Bluetooth, ZigBee). Good communication skills. Experience working on open-source projects helpful. An interest in international development and medical technology. Registration in D-Lab ICT highly encouraged.

This is a fall position with the opportunity to continue in the IAP and spring.

Diagnostic Interface Design

Project Description: 90% of all medical devices sent to developing countries fail within 6 months, because they were never designed to operate in those environments. Appropriate biomedical technology is an important and comparatively unexplored field of engineering compared to other developing world technologies. We are developing a set of field deployable prototyping kits for doctors and healthcare workers in poor countries to create their own medical devices. Six modules are being deployed in Nicaragua (Drug Delivery Devices, Diagnostics, Microfluidics, Vital Signs, Prosthetic Design and Mobile and Telemedical Technology).

The team has designed a novel building block kit for lateral flow and microfluidic diagnostics. The elements of each kit measure several physiological parameters such as Ketones, Glucose, Bilirubin, and specific biomarkers associated with drug metabolites. We are extending the building blocks of the kit by adding electronic readers that can detect color intensity, electrochemical changes, and pattern recognition such as QR codes. The resulting signals can be interpreted locally or sent via mobile phone for consultation by a specialized healthcare professional.

You will be working in a team environment building a plug and play optical and electrochemical sensors that interact with the diagnostic building blocks.

Prerequisites: Experience with designing, prototyping, testing and debugging electronic circuits (e.g. embedded systems combining analog circuitry, digital circuitry and wireless communications). Interest in electrochemical sensors and willingness to investigate affordable Do-It-Yourself designs of such sensors. Good communication skills. Experience working on open-source projects helpful. An interest in international development and medical technology

This is a fall position with the opportunity to continue in the IAP and spring.