From November 1-10, some of the world’s best researchers gathered to discuss and celebrate the latest breakthroughs in science and society from around the world during the Falling Walls event in Berlin, which coincides with the Berlin Science Summit. This year, the event hosted virtually more than 500 high-class speakers to over 200 digital expert panels, workshops, lectures and more.
From ‘Emerging Talents’
KAUST Ph.D. student Khalil Moussi and KAUST Master student Irene A. Salinas Akhmadeeva represented the University virtually at the competition. They were selected as the two top winners from 15 finalists at the Falling Walls Lab KAUST in September, which took place locally.
Irene Salinas Akhmadeeva Khalil Moussi
This year, for obvious reasons, the competition took a virtual turn, but our
representatives had pre-recorded their regulatory three-minute presentations for the jury panel.
To ‘Breakthrough of the Year’
Khalil Moussi and Irene Salinas Akhmadeeva were proudly selected among the 98 finalists of the ‘Emerging Talents‘ category. The jury had the difficult task to narrow down the number of candidates and select 10 award-winning projects in each category who would move forward to the ultimate stage of the competition, the ‘Breakthrough of the Year.’
The winning candidates would then have to face the jury once again in a Q&A session to become selected as one of the ten ‘Breakthrough of the Year’ finalists.
Khalil’s and Irene’s presentations, highlighted below, were innovative and cutting-edge, but the competition was fierce. The jury selected Khalil’s project to move forward to the Q&A session and have a chance to make it as finalist of the ‘Breakthrough of the Year‘ in Berlin in the Emerging Talents category. Congratulations!
There were moments of doubt for sure, but we showed high resilience
and courage. Especially, knowing that this might
save millions of lives all over the world.
—Khalil Moussi
Let’s now have a closer look to the two high-caliber presentations of your KAUST Falling Walls representatives:
Breaking the wall of coronary artery disease
Khalil Moussi, under the supervision of Prof. Jurgen Kosel, along with cardiovascular surgeons have developed a microneedles balloon catheter for vascular drug delivery to break the wall of the deadliest disease in the world, coronary artery disease, which has been the leading cause of death globally for the past decades. Using a high-resolution 3D printing technique, they have fabricated biocompatible and highly customizable microneedles to meet the different patient specifications. These microneedles were integrated on top of commercial balloon catheters and guided safely inside blood vessels noninvasively.
When the catheter is guided the microneedles are protected inside the balloon folds, at the narrowing site, the balloon is inflated allowing microneedles to penetrate the artery wall, then a therapeutic agent is delivered directly to the targeted site to control and reduce the narrowing. Finally, the balloon is deflated and the catheter is retrieved. To do that, biocompatible microneedles with a tip diameter down to 20 microns are 3D printed and integrated on a commercial balloon catheter. We have done several tests on rat and rabbit blood vessels. Based on animal experiments, we have demonstrated targeted and precise delivery to the vessel wall. Our solution does not only have the potential to save lives, but it can revolutionize the way vascular drug delivery is being done today.
“I am very proud of Khalil Moussi’s outstanding achievement at this year’s Falling Walls competition. Supervising Khalil for more than five years, I know this award is a tribute to his incredible passion for science, commitment to excellence and sheer hard work. Despite the many obstacles that paved his way to breaking the wall of coronary artery disease, he did not stall and continued moving forward. I hope that his accomplishment will be an inspiration to many students,” Jurgen Kosel said.
Watch Khalil’s presentation at Falling Walls Berlin below:
Breaking the Wall of Data Deficient Fisheries
“Getting selected as one of the winners of the KAUST Falling Walls Lab was very rewarding,” mentions Irene Salinas Akhmadeeva’s, Falling Walls Lab KAUST second place winner. She is a master student at the Red Sea Research Center, under the supervision of Prof. Micheal Lee Berumen, Irene presented a three-minute idea which is related to the research she is pursuing for her Master’s thesis.
She addressed one of the biggest problems that marine ecosystems and Fisheries Management are dealing with all around the world: Data Deficient Fisheries.
Currently, there is very little or no precise knowledge about the fish being caught. But by merging current technologies, such as Computer Vision techniques, she aims to create a device that will make it possible to efficiently analyze the out-stream of fish from the sea. This information is highly valuable to make decisions and design proper management strategies to allow fish populations to recover in marine ecosystems if these are well implemented. Another important aspect of her research project is to explore the possible outcomes and potentials for implementation in the Kingdom and beyond borders.
Watch Irene’s presentation at Falling Walls Berlin below:
“I am proud of her accomplishments with Falling Walls – it’s a great venue to combine her passions for communication and conservation. We are lucky to have her in our community and I’m very grateful that KAUST has given her the opportunity to take her message to a global stage!”
—Michael Berumen, Supervisor
We wish to thank all participants of the Falling Walls Lab at KAUST for their inspirational ideas, scientific breakthroughs and fascinating discussions.
Falling Walls Lab at KAUST will return in August 2021.
For more details, please contact Professional.Development@kaust.edu.sa