Ashburn Student Reaches Finals of 'America’s Top Young Scientist'

ASHBURN, VA — Samvrit Rao, a student at Stone Mill Middle School in Ashburn, has advanced to the finals of the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge. The competition, sponsored by 3M and Discovery Education, recognizes students in grades 5-8, who use scientific thinking to create something that will improve the lives of people in their local communities and globally.

Samvrit will compete against nine other finalists for a grand prize of $25,000 and the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.”

Samvrit developed BOREAS, an affordable telemedicine-based system that captures and relays breath sounds along with symptomatic data to physicians with the use of a hardware-software app solution. Earlier this year, Samvrit and other students submitted short video entries online that demonstrated their creativity and passion for science.

Throughout a summer mentorship program, Samvrit will partner with a 3M scientist to turn his concept into a reality. In response to the coronavirus crisis, the 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge is moving the final event from 3M's headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, to an interactive virtual competition to be held Oct. 12-13, where finalists will be evaluated on a series of challenges and the presentation of their completed innovation.

In his video entry, Samvrit explains his reasoning for pursuing this type of innovation. When he was younger, Samvrit often had to go to his pediatrician's office due to exacerbations from asthma. The doctor's offices appointments were hard to schedule and were often time-consuming.

"I was hoping that once telemedicine became mainstream, that I didn't have to visit the doctor as much," Samvrit said. "But for people like me with pulmonary disease, telemedicine lacks the ability to relay a crucial data point — breath sounds."

Bronchitis, pneumonia, COPD and asthma all can be identified using breath sounds. Almost 27 million people in the United States suffer from pulmonary disease, which is also one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

In his video presentation, Samvrit explains that if there were telemedicine app that could transmit breath sounds to doctors, it could help patients, including people with the COVID-19 disease, according Samvrit. Such an app could greatly ease the burden on health care facilities during the coronavirus pandemic, he said.

Samvrit was able to develop BOREAS, a unified hardware-software solution. The invention uses a lapel microphone and a stethoscope that plugs into the audio port of a phone and records breath sounds. An app on the phone captures the sounds along with the symptoms the patient is exhibiting and transmits it to the doctor.

This year’s finalists, four girls and six boys, ranged in age from 12 to 14. A group of judges, including 3M scientists and leaders in education from across the country, evaluated entries based on creativity, scientific knowledge, and communication effectiveness.

The top 10 2020 3M Young Scientist Challenge finalists are:

• Samvrit Rao, Ashburn, Virginia, Stone Hill Middle School, Loudoun County Public Schools
• Laasya Acharya, Mason, Ohio, Mason Middle School, Mason City School District
• Xavier Baquero-Iglesias, Naples, Florida, Community School of Naples, Collier County Public Schools
• Anika Chebrolu, Frisco, Texas, Nelson Middle School, Frisco Independent School District
• Rithvik Ijju, Englewood, Colorado, Challenge School, Cherry Creek School District
• Ekansh Mittal, Beaverton, Oregon, Meadow Park Middle School, Beaverton School District
• Harsha Pillarisetti, San Ramon, California, Windemere Ranch Middle School, San Ramon Valley Unified School District
• Samhita Pokkunuri, Old Bridge, New Jersey, Carl Sandburg Middle School, Old Bridge Township School District
• Kyle Tianshi, San Diego, California, The Cambridge School, Private
• Sophia Weiner, Rockledge, Florida, Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy, Private School

The 3M Young Scientist Challenge is in its 13th year. America’s Top Young Scientists have gone on to give TED Talks, file patents, found nonprofits, make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, ring the bell at the New York Stock Exchange, and exhibit at the White House Science Fair.