The Harvard freshman heads “Girls Computing League,” a nonprofit empowering young women in science and technology.
March 2, 2019 – Indian American science whiz Kavya Kopparapu, 19, of Herndon, Virginia, has been conferred with the 2019 National STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Education Award for her ground-breaking invention designed to improve treatments for glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer.
The $10,000 award, a no-strings attached honor given by STEM Education USA, recognizes Kavya as an “extraordinarily talented and accomplished” individual “who has meaningfully promoted STEM education.”
A freshman at Harvard University studying computer science and biology, the budding scientist has invented GlioVision, a precision medicine platform powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) that predicts brain tumor characteristics in a fraction of the time and cost of traditional methods by using a scanned image of a biopsy rather than a DNA sample. It is a major step to targeted treatment for patients with cancer which uses a deep learning computer system to determine the molecular and genetic signature of a brain tumor with 100 percent accuracy. Kavya has been recognized for her commendable efforts to battle a rare but deadly disease, and to encourage others to pursue their expertise in STEM-related fields.
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A social entrepreneur and changemaker, Kavya is the founder and CEO of Girls Computing League, a nonprofit organization which has raised over $100,000 for computer science programming that impacts more than 3,800 American students. The mission of the organization is to empower young women and under-represented groups in computer science, AI, and technology. It regularly hosts workshops for girls who lack access to computing and science resources.
“I love to share my passion for computer science as it has given me a world of opportunities and I would like to see other girls succeed”, Kavya says on the GirlsComputingLeague website.
At 16, the STEM advocate designed a 3D-printed, machine learning-powered eye disease diagnosis system. It was a cheap, portable AI system to diagnose diabetic retinopathy, a common eye infliction that her grandfather suffers from, which often goes undetected and leads to blindness.
ALSO READ: Nearly 40 percent of 2018 Regeneron Science Talent Search finalists are Indian American students (March 5, 2018)
“I want to be known as a computer scientist who happens to be a girl,” she says.
Kavya is an alumni of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a STEM magnet school in Northern Virginia, and no novice to awards and laurels. The accomplished innovator is a 2018 Regeneron Science Talent Search Finalist, US Presidential Scholar, 2017 WebMD Health Hero, Thiel Fellowship Finalist, Davidson Institute for Talent Development Scholar Laureate, and among Time magazine’s most influential teens of 2018.
An experienced speaker, she has delivered talks at the Smithsonian Institution, NASA Kennedy Space Center, and participated in several AI conferences.
READ MORE:
Indian American teen Rishab Jain crowned America’s Top Young Scientist (October 19, 2018)
More than a dozen Indian Americans among White House Science Fair exhibitors (April 12, 2016)
10 Comments
God bless you Kavya, this is more than just a miracle. The hard work, knowledge, dedication, sincerity and above all, the passion to find a permanent cure for this deadly disease. We are so proud of you. Keep up the astonishing work Kavya.. Thank you.
Congratulations Kavya! I have to wonder, are the parents from Hyderabad?
Congratulations Kavya
Wait–I just read this article and it is absolutely astonishing and how gifted this girl is. What makes me angry is that little Greta Thunburg gets her picture on TIME magazine for environmental activism. Please do not misconstrue my sentiments for the environment but we have over 5 million young activists screaming in the streets like cackling hens and ALL OF THEM ARE LOST; then you have Kavya Kopparapu which is the TRUE face of TIME magazine. It just goes to show how naive we are in this ever changing society we call USA.
We are all so proud and so grateful of all your hard work and effort Kavya, that you are putting in to helping mankind. Thank you once again and keep up the fantastic work that you are doing and may God help you succeed in your future research.
Congratulations Kavya!
Awesome!!! Congratulations, Kavya.
Very inspiring. Kavya’s story is a must read for anyone who wants to understand real education. Intelligence combined with innovation, nobility, perseverance and strength. The concept of computer scientist is rather new, but it has so much to offer.
Great achievement in such a young age. Congratulations!
So amazing, she is an Indian above all she is for humanity, comman man’s greed has spread into social system. — awareness cannot happen without rational education,.