The Winners: Sim4Life.lite Student Competition 2024

The search for the most outstanding student simulation project has concluded. After thorough evaluation, we are pleased to announce the winners of the Sim4Life.lite Student Competition 2024:

1st Prize:
Joseph Tharayil, EPFL, Switzerland, is awarded USD 3,000 for his work entitled "Simulation Insights on the Compound Action Potential in Multifascicular Nerves". Joseph developed a semi-analytic model of vagus nerve stimulation-evoked compound action potential (eCAP) in Sim4Life by combining coupled electromagnetic-neuro simulations with image-based nerve model creation and histology-based fiber statistics. His experimentally validated approach not only accelerates the prediction of eCAP – e.g., to optimize signal information content for closed-loop control purposes – but also sheds light on unexpected features of eCAPs from complex, multifascicular nerves. For example, subtle cancellation effects are shown to result in a non-monotoneous dependence of eCAP magnitude on the degree of activation, necessitating and enabling reinterpretation of previously collected eCAP data. Great work! 

Modeling and simulation of vagus nerve model with the NeuHeart VRAI stimulation electrode.

2nd Prize:
Pradnya Narvekar, University of Pennsylvania, USA, is awarded USD 2,000 for her work entitled “Enhancing B₁⁺ Field Homogeneity in 7T MRI Using Metasurfaces: Balancing Image Quality and Safety”. In her project, Pradnya modeled metasurfaces in Sim4Life, positioning them on either side of the head of Virtual Population model Yoon-sun in a 7T MRI setup. Using simulations in Sim4Life, she demonstrated B₁⁺ field uniformity and signal strength enhancements. However, her work also highlighted an increase in peak specific absorption rate values, emphasizing the trade-off between image quality and safety.

3rd Prize:
Eunwoo Lee, Gachon University, South Korea, is awarded USD 1,000 for his work entitled “Customizable Automated Loop Coil Design System with Multiple Parameter Control”. Eunwoo introduced a new automated loop coil design tool in Sim4Life, enabling users to specify various design parameters, including coil size, conductor width, and the number of capacitors, to create optimized loop coils for specific frequency ranges.

Congratulations and a big round of applause to the winners! 

We would like to thank everyone who participated in the 2024 Sim4Life.lite Student Competition and look forward to receiving submissions from you again in 2025. Visit the Sim4Life Student Competition 2025 page to learn more about the conditions and registration.

Your Sim4Life Team