Magdalene Ho will go on to compete against other winners from around the globe at the Falling Walls Lab finale in Berlin, Germany, at the Falling Walls Science Summit.
9 Sep 2024, SINGAPORE – An idea to improve treatment of diabetic foot ulcers with ‘superplasters’ has emerged as the winning presentation at Falling Walls Lab Singapore 2024, the local edition of the pitch competition organised internationally by the Falling Walls Foundation.
Magdalene Ho, a biomedical engineering PhD candidate at Imperial College London, was selected as the winner among 14 presenters, shortlisted from 43 applicants across various research institutes. She will join international winners from other Lab locations including Tokyo, Riyadh and Madrid at the global Falling Walls Lab finale in Berlin, Germany, where she will compete to be named Breakthrough Winner of the Year by a high-ranking, interdisciplinary jury, and receive a cash prize.
Winners from the international Lab locations will also get to present their projects at the Falling Walls Science Summit to an audience of global leaders in science, business, and policymaking. The Falling Walls Science Summit is held on 7-9 Nov annually, marking the fall of the Berlin Wall.
“Falling Walls Lab encourages scientists to communicate their ideas beyond the borders of their research specialties, which is key to bringing the benefits of scientific solutions to life,” said Dr Guido Schnieders, Director of the Regional Office of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) in Jakarta. “The lineup of presentations was of very high quality this year, and showcases the high standards of Singapore’s scientific ecosystem. Magdalene’s pitch stood out as it addressed a precise problem in a very clear manner, made understandable for a wide audience group.”
Breaking the wall of diabetic foot ulcer treatment
Magdalene’s proposed idea involves the use of ‘superplasters’ for treatment of diabetic foot ulcers. Developed with the ability to bind itself to specific proteins in the patient’s body, these plasters promote healing of wounds through close adhesion, while a cell-targeted system provides physicians with greater control of treatment and reduces the potential of side effects.
This enables the superplaster to address challenges posed by current solutions available to patients, which are typically less targeted in nature, and can result in lower treatment efficiency.
“I have always wanted to contribute towards affordable and accessible healthcare. Falling Walls Lab provided an opportunity for me to connect with and communicate my research with like-minded peers, which could help us reach collaborators, explore new applications, and ultimately create impact with a wider group of users in future,” said Magdalene.
Breakthroughs that impact science and society
Participants at Falling Walls Lab Singapore were given three minutes to present their ideas to a judging panel comprising six distinguished leaders across business, academia and public policy:
- Dr Thorsten Clausing, Science & Technology Counsellor, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Singapore
- Tang Wey Lin, Director, Science & Technology Masterplanning, Public Sector Science and Technology Policy and Plans Office (S&TPPO)
- Dr Tan Pei Leng, Research Fellow at Nanyang Technological University School of Materials Science and Engineering, and Winner of Falling Walls Lab Singapore 2023
- Dr Guido Schnieders, Director of the Regional Office of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) in Jakarta
- Suchitra Narayan, Director – Investments (Venture Building), SGInnovate
- Leonie Nagarajan, ASEAN representative, EURAXESS
Pitches for Falling Walls Lab Singapore were not restricted by any theme or topic, and evaluated based on three key criteria:
- Breakthrough factor – How innovative is the proposed idea?
- Potential impact – What is the scale of impact of the idea?
- Performance – How convincing was the presentation?
The Falling Walls Foundation is a non-profit organisation bringing a new generation of freedom. It promotes breakthrough thinking while building a community of leaders from science, business, and public sector networks to tackle pressing challenges and make groundbreaking ideas accessible to society.
“Singapore’s Deep Tech community is home to a vibrant spectrum of ideas and innovators. Platforms such as Falling Walls Lab are a critical channel for these talented individuals to communicate their research with a global network of leaders and changemakers, and translate these ideas into real impact,” said Juliana Lim, Executive Director – Talent, SGInnovate. “We will continue to support initiatives like this through Deep Tech Central, and bring even more opportunities for meaningful engagement and exposure to our community.”
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About SGInnovate
SGInnovate is a Deep Tech ecosystem builder and investor, backed by the Singapore Government. Our expertise and approach combines investments, talent development and community-building to catalyse the translation of emerging technologies into tomorrow’s opportunities.
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