Category: awards

2025 Team PRIME – Engineering a Smarter Response to Sepsis

The final feature in the 2025 Senior Design Awards Spotlight highlights Team PRIME, who earned Second Place at the Minnesota Design of Medical Devices Competition. 

Team Members: Majd Ayyad, Shriya Boyapati, McKenzie Davis, Sophie Gu, Sophie Klessel

Senior design in Penn Bioengineering is a yearlong capstone experience in which bioengineering seniors identify an unmet bioengineering need, design a solution to address the need, and create a high quality prototype that demonstrates their design. The course consists of BE4950 and BE4960, and was most recently taught by Dr. Erin Berlew, Dr. David Meaney, and Dr. Michael Siedlik.

For Team PRIME, the mission was clear: create a tool that could help detect sepsis earlier—when timing can mean the difference between life and death. Their project centers around a device that automatically measures capillary refill time, a simple but powerful indicator of blood perfusion and circulation quality. By providing continuous, automated monitoring, PRIME aims to improve clinical decision-making in intensive care units and emergency settings.

The team’s inspiration came from their clinical mentor, Dr. John Greenwood, whose passion for improving sepsis detection was contagious.

Sophie Klessel shared, “We had a great clinical mentor (Dr. John Greenwood) who was really passionate about creating a device for earlier detection of sepsis, and we knew we wanted to work with him. Additionally, sepsis was an issue that resonated with our group and an issue that we were excited about.”

Team PRIME approached the work with a strong sense of collaboration, blending individual strengths across software, hardware, and systems integration. One member led the development of the user interface and application logic, while another focused on designing and assembling the physical and electrical components.

Working on PRIME revealed to the team just how demanding and rewarding bioengineering can be.

“Bioengineers need to understand it all from interviewing clinicians for needs findings, to studying the physiology of the human body, to designing all the technical components including hardware and software and finally towards producing a medical device. It is such a difficult job to be all the engineers at once but the final results are rewarding!” Majd Ayyad explained. 

As the project concluded, their work was already gaining traction. Dr.  Michael Siedlik, one of the bioengineering senior design instructors, shares, “This technology could greatly surpass the current standard of care, as it provides much needed automation, reproducibility, and clinician-free measurements in hectic medical environments where quick and reliable measurements are critical for preventing the negative outcomes of sepsis.”

PRIME earned Second Place at the Minnesota Design of Medical Devices Competition, a national recognition of the team’s thoughtful engineering and strong clinical relevance. Development of the device will continue in partnership with their clinical mentor—bringing them one step closer to impacting real patient care.

2025 Team Prism Optics – Bringing Vision Care Within Reach

In Part 2 of the 2025 Senior Design Awards Spotlight, we turn to Team Prism Optics, winners of the Leadership Prize at Penn Engineering’s Senior Design Competition.

Team Members: Daniel Botros, Fady Fahmy, Daniel Jacobsohn Serebrinic, Danish Mahmood, Aarush Sahni

Senior design in Penn Bioengineering is a yearlong capstone experience in which bioengineering seniors identify an unmet bioengineering need, design a solution to address the need, and create a high quality prototype that demonstrates their design. The course consists of BE4950 and BE4960, and was most recently taught by Dr. Erin Berlew, Dr. David Meaney, and Dr. Michael Siedlik.

Across the globe, more than a billion people lack access to basic vision care, often simply because there aren’t enough optometrists to perform eye exams (Staff, One billion have preventable vision impairment 2019). Team Prism Optics took on this challenge by building a device that automates the process of determining an eyeglass prescription, offering a low-cost, portable solution that can be used without the need for a trained clinician.

The result is a self-administered vision screening platform that mimics the clinical process of subjective refraction. A user looks through a lens system and responds to a tumbling E eye chart using a joystick, indicating the direction of the letter. This interface, designed to be intuitive for users regardless of literacy, language, or age, was a major innovation in the team’s design. As Danish Mahmood explained, “Realizing the joystick input to indicate the direction of the tumbling E’s is functional for illiterate, non native English speaking, young and old people was our biggest logistical challenge.”

The device was designed and built through a deeply collaborative process. Mahmood developed the control software and mechanical precision of the lens adjustment system, while Fady Fahmy handled the acrylic housing and gears. Aarush Sahni envisioned the LCD interface and helped lead algorithm development alongside Daniel Jacobsohn Serebrinic and Daniel Botros, working closely with clinical mentors at Penn Medicine. The system is already being tested with classmates and is set to begin clinical trials with patients this summer.

Throughout the process, the team remained focused on their goal: to make vision care accessible in underserved communities. Their mentor noted that clinical trials beginning just months after graduation are almost unheard of for senior design teams—underscoring just how effectively Prism Optics aligned their design to a global need.

Dr. Michael Siedlik,  one of the bioengineering senior design instructors,  highlighted just how exceptional this trajectory is for a student team:

“Not many senior design teams are able to start clinical trials a few months after graduation… This is a testament to their ability to identify a bioengineering need that is very well suited to their expertise and to the resources available to them, as well as their ability to execute at a high level as a team.”

“We have prototyped a working self-administered eye exam that mimics the process of subjective refraction with an automated device… Our next step is to ensure many patients can use it successfully and achieve accurate results,” Mahmood shared. 

Team Prism Optics earned the Leadership Prize at Penn Engineering’s 2025 Senior Design Competition, a recognition of both their technical achievement and their clear path to real-world deployment.

References:
Staff, RO. (2019, October 8). One billion have preventable vision impairment. Review of Optometry. https://www.reviewofoptometry.com/article/one-billion-have-preventable-vision-impairment 

2025 Team ReFlex – Rewiring Stroke Rehabilitation

This series profiles three Penn Bioengineering senior design teams whose work received recognition at major competitions in 2025. In Part 1, we feature Team ReFlex, recipients of the Judge’s Choice Award at Penn Engineering’s Senior Design Competition. 

Team Members: William Qi, Ryann Joseph, Christopher Wun, Udit Garg, Aditya Gowd

Senior design in Penn Bioengineering is a yearlong capstone experience in which bioengineering seniors identify an unmet bioengineering need, design a solution to address the need, and create a high quality prototype that demonstrates their design. The course consists of BE4950 and BE4960, and was most recently taught by Dr. Erin Berlew, Dr. David Meaney, and Dr. Michael Siedlik.

From the beginning, Team ReFlex set out to do something ambitious: create a system that could help stroke patients regain motor function by aligning therapy with the brain’s intent to move. The idea emerged from a shared interest in neurotechnology, combined with a diverse set of technical backgrounds—bioengineering, robotics, computer science, electrical engineering, and data science. After months of conversations with professors, clinicians, and researchers, the concept took shape: an integrated platform that uses EEG signals and artificial intelligence to detect motor intent and trigger functional electrical stimulation (FES).

The team’s collaborative spirit was central to their progress. Each member brought complementary skills—some focused on the machine learning algorithms, others on signal processing, printed circuit board (PCB) design, or mechanical fabrication. Together, they built a noninvasive system designed for versatility, comfort, and real-world applicability.

“We knew from the start that we wanted to work on something in neurotechnology, as it was a space where all of our interests came together,” said William Qi. “With teammates in bioengineering, robotics, computer science, electrical engineering, and data science, we felt like we had a unique mix of skills to build something meaningful.”

The path wasn’t without challenges. The interdisciplinary nature of the project meant constantly stepping beyond individual comfort zones. Signal processing became a particular hurdle once the team moved to printed circuit boards—troubleshooting became more complex, but they leaned on strong communication and trust to navigate the setbacks.

As they developed the system, the team connected with a manufacturer of FDA-approved FES devices and successfully integrated one into their prototype—something that Dr. Michael Siedlik, one of the bioengineering senior design instructors, described it as a powerful example of vision meeting execution.

“They are a shining example of how our students can turn a plan that initially seems a little like science fiction into a high-quality biomedical device with the potential to address an important need,” Siedlik noted.

The result is a modular, user-friendly platform that allows patients to participate in their own rehabilitation more directly and independently. Designed to be compatible with existing clinical tools, ReFlex introduces a new level of personalization and responsiveness to therapy—advancing the potential of brain-computer interfaces in a field that clinicians themselves acknowledge as outdated.

ReFlex received the Judge’s Choice Award at Penn Engineering’s 2025 Senior Design Competition, a recognition not only of their technical achievement, but of their commitment to reshaping what recovery can look like for stroke survivors.

Each spring, awards are given to undergraduate students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science in recognition of outstanding scholarly achievements and service to the School and University community.

Read the full list of Bioengineering undergraduate award winners below.

The Hugo Otto Wolf Memorial Prize

Joey Wu
Christopher Wun

This prize is awarded to one or more members of each department’s senior class, distinguishing students who meet with great approval of the professors at large through “thoroughness and originality” in their work.

“Thanks to my BE professors (and lab instructors especially) that made it possible for me to explore just about every facet of engineering!”
-Christopher Wun

“I’d like to express my gratitude to the bioengineering professor that supported my work and always believed in me: Dr. LeAnn Dourte. Dr. Dourte has been a personal mentor, academic influence, and professional advisor that has shaped the way I approach the world. She is an incredible teacher, patient mentor, and wonderful friend. Thank you for all that she does!”
-Joey Wu

The Herman P. Schwan Award

Hana Bader

This department award honors a graduating senior who demonstrates the “highest standards of scholarship and academic achievement.”

Albert Giandomenico Award

Hana Bader
Jacqueline Li
Hana Matsuda
Rudy Whitney

The Bioengineering Department also presents a single lab group with the Albert Giandomenico Award which reflects their “teamwork, leadership, creativity, and knowledge applied to discovery-based learning in the laboratory.”

“I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my incredible teammates—Hana Bader, Hana Matsuda, and Rudy Whitney—whose collaboration, dedication, and clear communication made this award possible. I am equally grateful to our instructors, Professors David Meaney, David Issadore, and Michael Patterson, for their unwavering support throughout the Bioengineering MADLAB courses. Their technical guidance and encouragement were instrumental to our success and growth as a team.”
-Jacqueline Li

Rose Undergraduate Research Award

Ryann Joseph

Awarded by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (CURF). Ryann’s project was titled, “Cas9 protein outperforms Cas9 mRNA in CRISPR/Cas9 editing for lipid nanoparticle mediated recovery of CFTR functionality,” and was completed with the assistance of Professor Michael J. Mitchell.

Penn Engineering Exceptional Service Award

Ethan Eisenberg
Ryann Joseph
Sophie Klessel
Brianna Leung

This award recognize students for their outstanding service to the University and their larger communities.

“I have loved working to serve my engineering community as a TA and mentor!”
-Ryann Joseph

“Thank you very much to my professors and the faculty of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. I am very thankful and appreciative for this recognition.”
-Ethan Eisenberg

The Wolf-Hallac Award

Kaitlin Mrksich

This award was established in October 2000 to recognize the graduating female senior from across Penn Engineering’s departments who is seen as a role model, has achieved a high GPA (in the top 10% of their class), and who has demonstrated a commitment to school and/or community.