Videos pre-finalist 2023
The pre-finalists for the Innovation Award, the Amsterdam competition for innovative ideas that contribute to a better world.
Visit the showcase pages to see each pre-finalists showcase their idea through a personal video.
Ewelina Weglarz-Tomczak (UvA): Lysosomal protease inhibitors for Alzheimer’s
Ewelina Weglarz-Tomczak (UvA): Novel lysosomal protease inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease Highly specified proteases are the key regulators in the molecular mechanism of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease. AI-powered technology developed by NatInLab has led to the discovery of how those proteases are controlled in the human organism. Based on this knowledge, developing novel, […]
Georges Janssens (Amsterdam UMC): My Health Buddy
Georges Janssens (Amsterdam UMC): MyHeBu (My Health Buddy), a wearable device-based and AI-powered digital twin to track your health and aging. Many people are tracking all of their health data using wearable devices, but it’s not really giving them answers to simple questions like: ‘How often should I exercise?’, or ‘Is my high protein diet […]
Job Calis (Amsterdam UMC) and Mark Hoogendoorn (VU): IMPALA
Job Calis (Amsterdam UMC) and Mark Hoogendoorn (VU): IMPALA: Innovative Monitoring system for PAediatrics in Low-resource settings: an Aid to save lives. Each year, more than 3 million children die in poor countries. At least half of these deaths can be prevented by early recognition, before patients deteriorate. In Europe, patient monitors are used to […]
Jonathan de Long (UvA): Mitigating drought effects on grassland productivity
Jonathan de Long (UvA): Mitigating drought effects on grassland productivity by understanding grass-fungi-drought soil legacy interactions Drought events are becoming more frequent and more intense. This results in decreases in grassland productivity and financial losses for farmers. Upon rewetting after drought, so-called drought soil legacy effects can lead to carbon and nitrogen losses from the soil. […]
Lukas Helmbrecht (AMOLF and UvA): LumetalliX
Lukas Helmbrecht (AMOLF and UvA): LumetalliX – spray and make Lead light up! Lead is a highly toxic substance that causes permanent brain damage, affecting one in three children globally as stated by UNICEF. The toxic lead is all around us. For example in paint, household items and even children’s toys. Unfortunately, detecting lead is […]
Matteo Mazzanti (UvA): Novel quantum logic gates architecture
Matteo Mazzanti (UvA): Novel quantum logic gates architecture with trapped ions and optical tweezers There are complex problems that classical computers struggle to solve. For example, route optimization, drug design, and material discovery all require extraordinary computational power. Quantum computers are central in the solution to this problem. However, today’s quantum computers are difficult to […]
Olivier Lugier (UvA): Nano Hybrids
Olivier Lugier (UvA): Green synthesis of hybrid core-shell nanoparticles (Nano Hybrids) Nanomaterials are extremely small materials with unique properties due to their size. They are said to revolutionize many technological fields with high societal impact, like sustainable energy, catalysis and biomedicine. The problem is that their synthesis methods are often complex and polluting, which limits […]
Paul Merkus (Amsterdam UMC): BoneMRI of the head
Paul Merkus (Amsterdam UMC): BoneMRI of the head There are many young patients that face deafness and need surgery to be able to hear. Before the surgery, the ENT-surgeon currently needs two scans: an MRI to visualize the soft tissues like nerves, and a CT scan to show the bony structures. However, the CT scanning […]
Sara Geven (UvA): On track
Sara Geven (UvA): On track: a scientifically-informed ability tracking procedure to enhance equal learning opportunities Students in the Netherlands are allocated to different educational tracks at the age of twelve based on their teacher’s recommendation. Studies show students from disadvantaged backgrounds receive less ambitious track recommendations. Even within the same school, teachers use different tracking […]
Zeliha Guler (Amsterdam UMC): Novel wound-healing implant
Zeliha Guler (Amsterdam UMC): Development of a novel wound-healing implant with localized estradiol delivery One out of four women is under risk for prolapse, and it increases up to 60% by age or giving birth. For the correction of prolapse permanent implants are being used, but they may cause clinical complications in the long term. […]