Sabrina Badir and her project Pregnostics was selected out of young scientists and young entrepreneurs from all over the world as Innovator of the Year. She has developed a device allowing the risk of premature birth to be recognized in time.
One hundred young scientists, young entrepreneurs and innovators from 44 nations each had three minutes to present their research projects, ideas and initiatives for tackling societal challenges at the finals of the Falling Walls Lab in Berlin.
Dr Sabrina Badir from ETH Zurich was the jury’s choice and winner of the Falling Walls Lab 2015 with the development of a reliable and easytouse device that allows the risk of premature birth to be recognized in time so that appropriate treatments can be started promptly. Sabrina Badir had already won the Zurich Start Award and the award for the best business idea at this year's venture competition with her project Pregnostics.
Second prize went to Dr Lian Willetts from the University of Alberta. She presented a method through which prostate cancer can be diagnosed from a drop of blood. Lian and her team are developing a blood test that predicts the probability of metastases based on a motility indicator. In third place was the Israeli Shani Elitzur from Technion for her innovative renewable energy concept. Her research focuses on safer and more demand-based hydrogen production, which offers potential for storing electrical energy from aluminium-water reactions.
Winners were selected by a top-class jury from science and industry under the leadership of Professor Carl-Henrik Heldin, Chairman of the Nobel Foundation, and Dr Luca Rossi, Partner, Head of Europe, Middle East, and Africa at AT Kearney. ‘Sabrina Badir’s idea won over the jury with its immediate practical applicability,’ said Professor Carl-Henrik Heldin, Chairman of this year’s Falling Walls Lab Jury.
Sabrina Badir won EUR1,000. In addition, the three winners of the Falling Walls Lab had the chance to present their breakthroughs as ‘Falling Walls Young Innovators of the Year 2015’ in front of around 700 guests at the international Falling Walls Conference.
More than 1,300 young scientists applied for the Falling Walls Lab this year with new initiatives and research projects in the humanities, the social sciences, engineering, economics and the natural sciences. ‘Since its inception in 2011, the Falling Walls Lab has become one of the most important interdisciplinary platforms for top scientists and innovators,’ said Dr Luca Rossi.
Before the finale, 34 international preliminary rounds took place in 28 countries this year, including at Yale University, the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Saudi Arabia) and the University of Groningen (Netherlands).
The aim of the Falling Walls Lab is to promote scientific and entrepreneurial vision and to initiate and foster exchanges between young researchers and young professionals across disciplines. The Falling Walls Lab is organised by the Falling Walls Foundation with the support of the international management consultancy company AT Kearney (Founding Partner) and Festo (Global Partner).
A portrait of Sabrina Badir and her project Pregnostics can be found on the website of Technopark Zurich.
(SK)
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