Student group wins $50,000 seed money

With $50,000 on the line, it came down to the final two teams. On Thursday, Sept. 5, HydroGuard received seed money to begin implementing their project focused on hydration management.

The focus of the Student Research Challenge Pitch Fest was to reduce the impact of heat on vulnerable and high-risk populations in Phoenix.

“We looked for innovative solutions that tackled heat and health in the community and selected teams that included students from both [the College of Health Solutions] and other colleges,” said Matthew Scotch, associate dean and professor for the College of Health Solutions. “The combination of creativity, collaboration and feasibility played a major role in our decision.”

The final two teams competed by delivering investor-style pitches to a panel of faculty judges: Alicia Montalvo, clinical associate professor, Adela Grando, director and associate professor and Edward Ofori, assistant professor.

The judges evaluated the pitches, focusing on idea clarity, originality, execution plan, team cohesion, budget projections, community impact in Maricopa County and overall presentation.

“We focused on several key criteria, including innovation, feasibility, impact and presentation quality,” said Ofori. “There was a discussion about how well the teams aligned their research goals with societal needs, as well as their ability to articulate both the scientific basis and potential outcomes of their projects.”

Each team was provided with $5,000 to develop their ideas further in preparation for Pitch Fest. They had regular meetings with their faculty mentors and the Research Success hub to receive support and guidance. Training on the research expenditure process and project compliance matters, including Institutional Review Board requirements, was also provided, according to Michael Briggs, executive director of Research Success at the College of Health Solutions.

After deciding to make hydration the focal point of their project, the team brainstormed a name and landed on HydroGuard.

“We wanted a name that clearly communicates our focus on hydration and our proactive approach to maintaining health,” said Hassan Ghasemzadeh, a faculty mentor for HydroGuard, on behalf of the team.

Next, the real work began as the multidisciplinary group developed the concept of the project with the assistance of their faculty mentors, Ghasemzadeh and Stavros Kavouras. From the College of Health Solutions: Shovito Barua Soumma, PhD student in biomedical informatics, Jiaqian (Amber) Lee, master’s student in biomedical informatics and data science and Chau (Reina) Nguyen, master’s student in biomedical Informatics and data science at the College of Health Solutions. Asiful Arefeen is a PhD student in biomedical informatics and a master’s student in computer science from the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence. From the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Saanya Aroura is a master’s student in biomedical engineering. 

“The inspiration behind our project came from recognizing the significant health risks associated with dehydration, particularly during physical activity or in heat-prone areas like Arizona,” said Ghasemzadeh. “We observed a gap in the market for a comprehensive, easy-to-use solution that could monitor hydration in real-time and provide personalized guidance.”

Through multiple data sources—such as a smartwatch and smart water bottle—an individual's physical activity, heart rate, skin temperature and fluid intake are monitored by the HydroGuard app to provide real-time feedback.

With the assistance of AI, the collected data is processed to gauge the user’s hydration status. The app sends notification reminders to drink water or an electrolyte drink, depending on the person's current activity level and environment. This helps achieve the goal of early detection of heat-related health issues or dehydration, according to Ghasemzadeh.

“We also plan to begin larger-scale user testing to gather more data and further train our machine learning algorithms,” said Ghasemzadeh. “Simultaneously, we will be working on establishing partnerships with hardware manufacturers to move toward a more scalable, market-ready product.”

The runner-up team did not walk away empty-handed. SmartHeat was awarded $10,000 to use toward further development of their project concept.

SmartHeat is a four-person multidisciplinary team. From the College of Health Solutions: Binoli Herath, PhD student in population health, and Raul Freire, PhD student in exercise and nutritional sciences. From Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering: Rashmi Neelawathura, a PhD student in engineering education systems and design, and Tanmai Mukku, a master's student in computer science.

The app will allow users to create a health profile to receive recommendations on physical activities, along with heat-related illness risk factors based on the individual's fitness levels. Through a smartwatch connection, real-time environmental and physiological response data can improve the app's accuracy.

“Our approach integrates multiple disciplines and leverages cutting-edge technology to improve outdoor safety and health outcomes,” said Herath. “By expanding our reach and refining our app, we aim to make a meaningful impact in preventing heat-related illnesses and promoting safe outdoor activities across various regions.”

With the assistance of AI programming, the app will be able to identify when specific thresholds have been exceeded, assess heat-related health risks and categorize them into three levels: level one (minimum risk), level two (moderate risk), and level three (high risk). The app will issue alerts to users with notifications for hydration or rest. The app is best targeted at hikers, athletes and other active individuals.

The competition was a first-of-its-kind event for the College of Health Solutions. Michael Moody, assistant director of Research Success, says the team wants to make this an annual event in the future.

“This event is more than a competition; it’s a platform for students to develop real-world solutions to a pressing public health issue,” said Briggs. “It emphasizes innovation, feasibility and teamwork, while providing resources and mentorship to help students bring their ideas to life.”