Most adults can’t help but think they know more than the younger generation. However, one DFW teen is proving that the children truly are the future. Plano West’s Alay Shah recently won $70,000 at a national science competition thanks to his game changing research.
Alay Shah took home seventh place at the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the country’s oldest science and math competition for high school seniors. Shah earned the $70,000 prize for developing a diagnostic tool that tracks eye movement to identify neurological disorders. This new technology could become a cheaper alternative to MRIs. “Alay’s tool tracks pupil movement and gaze with an infrared camera, and uses software he wrote. The data is then analyzed using deep learning algorithms to identify abnormal eye reflexes. In clinical tests of patients with Parkinson’s, dementia, multiple sclerosis, and ADHD, Alay found unique eye patterns associated with each condition,” said a release from the competition.
According to Dallas Culture Map, Shah wasn’t the only Texan claiming a spot in the top 10, as Sam Christian of Austin ISD’s Liberal Arts and Science Academy won 10th place and a $40,000 award. As for Shah, he had been working on his project since 9th grade. Now, he’ll have to find a new game changing idea to work on.