Innovative Minds: Alexander Lui

Odle Middle School | 7th grade grade | 14 years old

Rheumatoid Arthritis Monitoring

About the Idea

The current approach of RA treatment requires that rheumatologists evaluate their patients’ conditions using a combination of quantitative measures and patient reported measures to assess their disease activity and adjust their patient’s treatment plans accordingly.

Why did you enter the 3M Young Scientist Challenge?

I entered the Young Scientist Challenge because I want to have the opportunity to share my research. My goal is to share with other students who are passionate about solving real world problems with science and engineering. I am also looking to receive feedback on my project to further improve my ideas and designs. I want to learn and understand other young scientists’ projects and ideas to deepen my understanding of scientific research. The Young Scientist Challenge is a great opportunity to do just that.

What is your favorite invention of the last 100 years, and why?

My favorite invention of the last 100 years is penicillin. Before it was invented in 1928, bacterial infections such as bacterial endocarditis, bacterial meningitis, and pneumococcal pneumonia proved lethal to the world population, as one deep cut or even a tiny scratch could result in amputation or a loss of life. However, when penicillin was accidentally discovered by Sir Alexander Fleming when he returned from his vacation to find that the mold had started killing some of the bacteria he had been growing, it revolutionized health care as it was the first antibiotic that doctors could use to treat patients with bacterial infections. Penicillin single-handedly saved 200 million lives, conquering diseases like tuberculosis and pneumonia.

Over the next 14 years, Dr. Howard Florey and Dr. Ernst Chain continued to find ways to purify and mass produce penicillin for therapeutic use. Dr. Florey and Dr. Chain led us into the antibiotic era and all the benefits brought to us by these therapeutic agents, such as longer life spans, widespread modern surgery, and infectious diseases control. In 1942, Penicillin became the first antibiotic to become commercially available. After WWII, Dr. Chain developed the first semisynthetic antibiotics as well as improved technological processes to produce a wide variety of microbial metabolites that are still in wide use today. Although Penicillin is not used as much as it was used during the 20th century, antibiotics and synthesis technology is still widely researched and is paving the way for future antibiotics to go into doctor’s hands, hence why this is my favorite invention in the last century.

In 15 years I hope to be...

In 15 years, I hope to be an anesthesiologist working at the Mayo Clinic. The fact that an anesthesiologist has the power to numb or put someone into an unconscious state while surgeons perform lifesaving procedures is fascinating. The complexity and the unknowns of the nervous system have always intrigued me. In addition, there is a very humane side of anesthesiology– I hope one day patients can feel safe and comfortable under my care when they are the most vulnerable. Every kind of surgery requires an anesthesiologist, which means I would have the opportunity to participate in a wide array of different cases and engage with many specialties of doctors. My aspirations were inspired by the doctors at the Mayo Clinic. Ever since I was a toddler, I would go with my parents to the Mayo Clinic for annual checkups. A few years ago, my mom’s internal medicine physician found a hard lump on her face. She had to have an operation there, the removal of a pleomorphic adenoma. It was a high-risk surgery since the lump was situated in between three major facial nerves that control the facial movement. In the case that even one of these nerves got damaged during the operation, my mom’s left face would be paralyzed, and she would not be able to have a natural smile for the rest of her life. The surgery requires a very experienced surgeon who can skillfully pull up the facial skin and remove the lump without touching the nerves in close proximity. The operation was very successful. A couple weeks later, the incision was not even visible, and her recovery was very quick. I truly admire the professionalism, the friendliness and the high-quality medical care the Mayo Clinic care teams provided to their patients.

“Creativity Is Intelligence Having Fun.”~Albert Einstein