http://topnaman.com/diagnosis/student-innovation-in-low-cost-diagnostics/ malaria news and discussion Tue, 18 May 2010 19:18:21 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 http://topnaman.com/diagnosis/student-innovation-in-low-cost-diagnostics/comment-page-1/#comment-5365 Aman Tue, 19 May 2009 03:57:03 +0000 http://topnaman.com/?p=326#comment-5365 Great stuff. I couldn't open the News and Observer link, any chance you can get him to do a detailed post on his project and where it is going next? Great stuff. I couldn’t open the News and Observer link, any chance you can get him to do a detailed post on his project and where it is going next?

]]> http://topnaman.com/diagnosis/student-innovation-in-low-cost-diagnostics/comment-page-1/#comment-5336 Pavak Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:34:11 +0000 http://topnaman.com/?p=326#comment-5336 Haha, thanks Naman. As per your ending question, I think there's really two key pieces that makes it possible: money and infrastructure. I think in 90% of cases students have some really amazing ideas but they have neither their own resources nor the right mentorship in finding resources to pursue the work they're interested in. I think one of the biggest services experienced students and faculty can give their students is to make them aware of and help them in seeking all of the myriads of funding opportunities out there. Technical advising is important, business advising is important, but without access to funding, workshops or lab space, students don't feel they actually might be able to pursue the projects they're interested in. This is something that I've been pushing heavily in the BME department at NCSU: setting up an open workshop. Have an electronics lab, a wetlab and a machine shop that is stocked with supplies and equipment that students get trained on and have (reasonably) unlimited access to. Give them the basic tools they need to play around, build proofs-of-concepts and learn with their hands. I think they're starting to contemplate the idea now that the department has a full-time lab manager that might be able to set up something like this when the department moves into the new space on Centennial Campus in a year or two. Haha, thanks Naman. As per your ending question, I think there’s really two key pieces that makes it possible: money and infrastructure. I think in 90% of cases students have some really amazing ideas but they have neither their own resources nor the right mentorship in finding resources to pursue the work they’re interested in. I think one of the biggest services experienced students and faculty can give their students is to make them aware of and help them in seeking all of the myriads of funding opportunities out there. Technical advising is important, business advising is important, but without access to funding, workshops or lab space, students don’t feel they actually might be able to pursue the projects they’re interested in. This is something that I’ve been pushing heavily in the BME department at NCSU: setting up an open workshop. Have an electronics lab, a wetlab and a machine shop that is stocked with supplies and equipment that students get trained on and have (reasonably) unlimited access to. Give them the basic tools they need to play around, build proofs-of-concepts and learn with their hands. I think they’re starting to contemplate the idea now that the department has a full-time lab manager that might be able to set up something like this when the department moves into the new space on Centennial Campus in a year or two.

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