Improving the Skin Prick Allergy Test: Exploring the Effect of Operator Dependent Factors of Test Variability; The Hidden Power in Clinical Trials: Exploring Power Dynamics in America through Clinical Trial Practices

The National Center for Health Statistics states, “Advances in medical technology, including diagnostic imaging technologies, procedures, medical devices, and new prescription drugs have extended and improved the quality of countless lives” (National Center for Health Statistics(US), 2017). For example, food allergies affect 6.2% of people in the US (Center for Diversity, 2023), who can face malnutrition or death without proper diagnosis. In the capstone section, a tool will be created for skin prick allergy test that reduces the variation of results caused by operator dependent factors, such as depth. At the same time, medical innovation and testing is a highly regulated process, often controlled by the governments and international councils. For example, clinical trials are a required process where devices, new treatments, or procedures are tested on willing patients. In the STS research paper, we will explore the power dynamics around clinical trials within the United States. To fully develop the capstone project, a clinical trial testing the product would be essential. If scientists and engineers can understand the power dynamics at play while testing their devices, they can design clinical trials which ensure a safe and equitable experience for patients.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering

Technical Advisor: Daniel Abebayehu

STS Advisor: Bryn Seabrook

Technical Team Members: Ria Agrawal, Neda Rehan, Coco Zhang