Students from across the country competed in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair last week in Pittsburgh, and out of the 1,500 kids who competed from more than 70 countries, 15 year old Jack Andraka was named the top winner, landing the $75,000 grand prize.
Andraka, a high school freshman, created a non-invasive and cheap way to detect pancreatic cancer, the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States.
The test uses a dip-stick sensor, based on diabetic test paper, to test blood or urine for signs of early stage pancreatic cancer.
Boasting a 90% accuracy rate, the patent-pending sensor is 168 times faster, 26,000 times less expensive and over 400 times more sensitive than previous tests. Andraka believes the sensor can also be extended to detect ovarian and lung cancers.
Andraka talks to Alina Cho on Early Start today about his big win and what’s next for him.