Dr. Serge Afeli, assistant professor of pharmacology and director of pharmacy innovation and entrepreneurship, and students Sarah Lankford and Destiny Prinski received an award at the 2019 MIT Hacking Medicine competition. The three-day event took place on the MIT campus in Boston from May 3 to 5.

Afeli, Lankford and Prinski competed against professors and students from MIT, Harvard, Boston College, and other colleges and universities around the world.

During the competition, clinicians, engineers, and others collaborated to solve problems in healthcare. The Grand Hack included four tracks that the 400 participants competed in.

The trio from the PC School of Pharmacy competed in the Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation track with two others, an engineer and a designer.

“The experience was extremely challenging and enlightening,” Prinski said.

The Assistive Technology and Rehabilitation track focused on helping the disabled eliminate pain, rehabilitate and optimize their performance.

“I enjoyed the competition and working with those who have different experiences than I have,” Prinski said.

The team’s award-winning project focused on a product called the “Lofty.”

“The Lofty is a specialized mattress topper which helps caretakers have the ability to move the patient with less physical harm to them and the patient,” Lankford said.

PC student Kobie Kirven also attended the competition at MIT. Kirven competed in the Cancer track in a group comprising students from other institutions.

Lankford, Prinski and Kirven joined Afeli’s newly created Pharmacy Innovation Lab in October 2018 to prepare for the 2019 MIT Hacking Medicine competition.

Learn More

The Pharmacy Innovation Lab is part of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship program. Please visit the program’s webpage to learn more.