Ikebudu… Homegirl sets record at Imperial College

Wins Best Project Award In Bioengineering

A 20-year old Vivian Fowler Memorial College alumnus (class of 2011), Vanessa Ikebudu, has graduated in bioengineering from the Imperial College London in the top percentile, while her individual project work and presentation also won the Best Project Award of the 2016 class.

Vanessa’s project was based on an innovative, high-performance and low-cost variation of a breath condenser, which could be used to liquefy breath to form condensates that can be tested for various biomarkers associated with different diseases. The exhaled breath condenser is a new non-invasive technology, which instead of using more invasive human samples such as blood or human tissue would analyse breath for different biomarkers such as hydrogen, nitrogen oxide and even DNA, which mark for diseases such as asthma and lung cancer.

This portable device is suitable for home use and at the current stage of development weighs the same as a tea mug. By simply breathing into the apparatus, individuals would be able to determine if they are developing diseases before showing alarming symptoms such as breathlessness or coughing up blood. Therefore, diagnosis would be more in the hands of ordinary people enabling diseases to be detected sooner than later and ensuring that medical intervention would be of maximum impact.

“I’m personally moved by and highly impressed with her success because, not only has Vanessa demonstrated a rare singular focus and a commendable command of her personal and professional goals, at an oftentimes bewildering and difficult age, she has also devoted herself to serve humanity,” Ms Irene Fowler, Director, Vivian Fowler Memorial College, said.

She noted that, “this is an era when members of her generation, otherwise known as ‘Generation Z’ or ‘Gen Z’ are deemed to be screen addicts, possessing the attention span of eight seconds and seeking immediate validation and acceptance through social media. They are also beset with questionable role models, who to a great extent comprise of the constant media stream of ‘celebrity types,’ having as their main motivations in life, shameless self-promotion and aggrandizement.”

While describing Vanessa’s achievements as worthy of high praise and emulation, Fowler said, “ I strongly believe that this is the beginning of great things for Vanessa and I would passionately encourage the Nigerian youth to take a page from her book and face the future with confidence and in the belief that you are important and relevant regardless of your circumstances. Hence, those who lack the resources or support to access premier citadels of learning, should not despair or consider the situation to be an insurmountable hurdle in the pursuance of legitimate and noble career objectives, rather this challenge should supply the necessary impetus to embark on a path of brilliance, using the materials and resources which cost little and are readily available,” she said.

Imperial College is the leading academic facility in the UK for high impact research and attracts undergraduates from over 125 countries. The university’s focus is in science and technology and it is considered to be among the most innovative tertiary Institutions in Europe and their august membership includes 14 Nobel Laureates.

The discovery of penicillin, which began the era of antibiotics, is attributed to Sir Alexander Fleming, who made his discovery from some dirty dishes. The laboratory where he made his discovery is preserved as the Sir Alexander Fleming laboratory museum, St. Mary’s Hospital, Paddington and forms a part of the Imperial College Health Care Trust.

Unequivocally one of the most important medical discoveries known to man, penicillin, was initially called ‘mould juice,’ likely due to the absence of grandiosity and fanfare surrounding its discovery.