Emory Demo Day Showcases Student-Led Technology Driven Solutions for Diabetes Care
In Georgia, more than 1 million adults, about 11.4% of the adult population are living with diagnosed diabetes, with rural communities facing a disproportionate burden.
Against this backdrop, the Emory Global Diabetes Research Center recently hosted its Demo Day, showcasing student-led, technology-based solutions designed to address the Top 10 Diabetes Problems in rural Georgia. The challenges were identified through the StopNCD initiative.
Demo Day builds on the broader Top 10 Problems initiative led by EGDRC, which brings together health professionals, researchers and technologists to identify priority challenges in diabetes care both domestically and globally. Georgia is the most recent region highlighted through the initiative.
Students from Emory University, Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State University presented prototypes aimed at improving patient access, treatment adherence and health outcomes. Faculty members, industry experts, and community partners provided feedback to help students refine their ideas and consider real-world implementation.
“Demo Day is about more than showcasing technology. It’s about seeing the tangible impact students can have on patient care,” said Dr. Jithin Sam Varghese, co-director of the EGDRC Diabetes Translational Accelerator and a member of the StopNCD expert group. “The creativity and dedication of these students is inspiring. They’re developing solutions that are both practical and scalable for rural communities.”
Across projects, students used tools such as open-source AI models, cloud services, voice creation software, AI-based image generation and UX frameworks like Vercel. Designs prioritized accessibility, accounting for limited broadband access and local infrastructure constraints.
“It was important that students engaged with the community early and iteratively tested their prototypes,” said Ru Ekanayake, a doctoral student in global health and development at Emory University and a member of the StopNCD organizing team. “This approach ensures solutions are not only creative but practical for the people who need them most.”
Demo Day also served as a launch point for future work. Many teams plan to continue refining their prototypes, pursue pilot testing, or integrate their projects into larger research initiatives.
Preparing Students for Real-World Impact
The first Top 10 Problems list, which focused on diabetes challenges in India, inspired a pilot course in Global Diabetes Innovation at Emory. The course prepared many students who later presented at Demo Day.
“The pilot course was structured to blend technical skill with entrepreneurship,” said Dr. Joyce Ho, associate professor of computer science and director of graduate studies for Emory’s Computer Science Master of Science program. “Students learned not just to code, but to engage directly with communities, understand constraints and design with empathy.”
The course was a collaboration between the Emory Computer Science MS program, the Emory Global Diabetes Research Center and Emory’s innovation hub, The Hatchery. Students learned startup fundamentals such as customer discovery, business modeling and pitching, while developing AI-driven solutions tailored to rural Georgia communities.
Student projects featured at Demo Day
The projects presented reflected a wide range of approaches to diabetes management and care delivery:
- Digitized Patient Intake Form (Georgia Tech CS Junior Capstone)
Students: Alan Tian, Alexander Gualino, Michael Zuo, Willson Pan and Tiger Chen Designed for the Emory Farmworker Program, this offline-capable electronic medical record system replaces paper forms and functions in low-connectivity settings for pop-up clinics. - Medication Inventory Management System (Emory CS Undergraduate Practicum)
Students: Chris Pocharski, David Kim, Ethan Rao, Junhan Yang, Nate Hu, Sammi Mi and Steven Liu
This mobile-first system addresses delays in prescription fulfillment in rural clinics by improving medication tracking despite limited internet access. - Healthy Homes Healthy Families AI Assistant (Georgia Tech CS Senior Capstone)
Students: Simrat Thind, Sharada Ghantasala, Anish Cheraku, Dev Patel and Mahi Patel The project incorporates AI-assisted messaging to support lifestyle-based weight management programs and deliver personalized guidance across rural populations.
Several projects were developed by Emory Computer Science master’s students:
- DiaBuddies, created by Abhya Ambati and Shreya Nallaboina, is a voice-enabled chronic disease management platform that provides personalized guidance without relying on stable internet access.
- TasteMatch, developed by Humphrey Amoakohene and Harsit Upadhya, is an AI-powered chatbot that helps users plan meals using items already available in their pantry while maintaining privacy.
- Eat-I, created by Edward Youn and Joyce Ding, provides simple nutrition guidance through text or image prompts.
- Pilly, developed by Lily Wang, uses personalized comics and local cultural references to explain pharmacology and improve medication understanding and adherence.
Kennesaw State University master’s students Mohan Krishna Thiriveedhi and Tarun Teja Pokala presented a deep learning system that analyzes eye images to detect severe diabetic retinopathy, supporting early diagnosis and helping prevent vision loss.
“A major goal of this course was instilling an experimental mindset and projects like DiaBuddies and Pilly demonstrated how local context can make digital tools more accessible and culturally relevant,” said Mathew Estrada, senior graduate program coordinator.
Looking ahead, program leaders hope to expand the course to include students from business, law, public health and other disciplines, reflecting how real-world solutions are developed and brought to market.
“Our hope is that students leave the course with not only technical skills, but also the entrepreneurial tools to turn ideas into sustainable solutions that genuinely improve people’s lives,” Ho said.
Demo Day underscored how student-driven, community-centered approaches can help address persistent challenges in diabetes care. The event served as both a celebration of student work and a foundation for solutions that may improve health outcomes in rural communities for years to come.