2025

Honors College scholarship recipient helps pioneer disease detection technology in Malawi

TEAM Malawi provided a Virginia Tech senior in public health a way to pursue a passion project that ultimately could revolutionize the diagnosis of schistosomiasis in Malawi. Endemic in Malawi, schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection that can lead to bladder cancer when left untreated. Early detection and regular treatment, especially from childhood, can reduce cancer rates in endemic areas to levels seen in non-endemic regions.

Together, TEAM Malawi and the student, Louhan Dembele, have tested a diagnostic tool that can significantly enhance the speed, simplicity, and accuracy of schistosomiasis detection. The current methods of diagnosis used in Malawi take hours and require specialized training. Members of TEAM Malawi and Dembele have identified a partner in Malawi that will soon begin extensive in-country testing of this improved method.

2024

Virginia Tech students' water-sampling drone innovation takes them to Malawi and Rome

In 2024, TEAM Malawi advanced a drone-based water sampling project that significantly improves the safety and efficiency of monitoring schistosomiasis. Traditional methods of testing for schistosomiasis pose a significant risk as it is a parasitic disease that can pierce human skin on contact. Using drones, the team can collect water samples where humans cannot access and reduce the risk of infection. The success the team experienced in enhancing safety and disease tracking attracted attention from international organizations, culminating in their selection as finalists for the World Food Forum in Rome.

2023

A transcontinental collaboration for women's health

In March 2023, TEAM Malawi assessed the continuum of Malawi's health care, focusing on public awareness, screening techniques, and treatment for cervical cancer. Malawi is known to have some of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the world.

With an interdisciplinary team comprising biomedical engineering and public health students and researchers, TEAM Malawi identified several design opportunities to address the needs they saw for women's health in underserved communities.

In September 2023, TEAM Malawi returned to the country. Partnering with the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), the teams explored innovative, noninvasive solutions for breast and cervical cancer detection. The team also worked to improve education and screening in remote areas to facilitate early detection. The team is now making a two-pronged plan for future work to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention through community-driven medical infrastructure improvements and a community-driven public health campaign.

2020-2021

The establishment and success of ADDA

A project that developed out of TEAM Malawi and has taken on a life of its own is the African Drone and Data Academy (ADDA). Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic, ADDA members were able to train over 300 students from 23 African nations between its inception in 2020 and September 2021 – with the first cohort of 25 students starting in April 2020.

ADDA equips trainees with essential skills in drone construction, operation, and data analysis. The program's graduates are making significant impacts in their communities, from emergency medical deliveries to climate change mitigation. This award underscores the transformative potential of drone technology in promoting sustainable development and improving lives.

In 2021, ADDA received the prestigious humanitarian and public safety award from the Association for Unmanned Vehicles Systems International for this team's commitment to developing drone technology to improve lives.