Camps Bay Student wins multiple awards for medical diagnostic algorithm

Photo Credit: Supplied

Storm Rhoda has come up with a medical diagnostic algorithm that is highly successful at yielding faster results when testing for illnesses.

Camps Bay, South Africa – Camps Bay High School Grade 11 student, Storm Rhoda from Hout Bay, has won multiple awards for his Science Project – “Leveraging Machine Learning to Improve Medical Diagnosis”.

After winning gold at the Eskom Cape Town Science Expo earlier this year, Storm was part of the Cape Town team that travelled to Johannesburg to participate in the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists International Science Fair.

Storm’s project, which features an algorithm that yields faster results when testing for illnesses like pneumonia, received some of the top awards and high acclaim at the International Science Fair.

He was presented with the HATCH Hendrik van der Bijl Special Award for the most outstanding project showing insight and understanding of current and future technologies and offering an innovative solution. The award comes with an R7 000 prize.

Storm also received a Special Award from The Technology Innovation Agency – a division of the Department of Science and Technology – for one of the best, most innovative projects presented at the Expo. The award comes with a support award valued at R200 000 to change the project into a viable business.

His work was also recognised for originality receiving the Siemens Ingenuity for Life Award for which he also receives training to enhance his engineering skills with Siemens Industry Training (SITRAIN) at the Siemens Training Centre in Midrand.

Overall, Storm’s project was awarded a silver medal at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists International Science Fair, and he is shortlisted (pending interviews with the selection committee) to represent South Africa on the International team at various Science Fairs worldwide in 2020.

Storm’s project will be on display in the Camps Bay High School foyer from tomorrow, Thursday 3 October 2019 until Wednesday, 9 October 2019.