12-year-old girl from Knoxville Tennessee has devised a computer programme which could help doctors prevent a dangerous reaction to medicines. Sofia Tomov is one of the finalists in the 2016 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a prestigious science competition for middle school students.
Tomov’s algorithm can be used by doctors as they screen patients to find out whether a particular patient is reactive to medicines as part of their routine medical care. The program’s purpose would be to identify any genetic mutations which could trigger a dangerous or possibly fatal reaction to prescribed drugs.
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According to the latest figures adverse reaction to drugs is the fourth most common cause of death in the United States.
Sofia, whose ambition is to get a doctorate in computer science and start her own company, admits that there is more work to be done before her initiative can be implemented.
“So far(scientists)have not found a feasible solution because the algorithms are taking too long to run on a 6 billion base-long genome,” she explains on A Mighty Girl’s Facebook page.
“For patients in emergency situations such as a heart attack or a seizure, this is a huge health risk.”
This is not even Sofia’s first invention. She has already filed a provisional patent for a device to prevent disposed drugs entering the water supply.
By Vijay Prabhu
