Fort Bend ISD

Student Bio

Julie is a 3-year member and the current captain of the CHS Varsity Girls Basketball Team, a member and the current president of the Spanish National Honor Society, a National Honor Society member, and a Y.E.S. program participant. Outside of school, she co-coaches for the First Colony Youth Basketball Association and serves as an Ambassador Girl Scout. Julie has received numerous awards and accreditations, including the Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award, Girl Scout Silver Award (she has received approval for and is in the process of earning her Gold Award), and standing as an AP Scholar with Honors and National Merit Scholarship Finalist.

Through her mentorship with Mrs. Katherine Adkins, an amazing biomedical engineer at Forward Science, she was gifted with the unique opportunity to not only explore and receive exceptional interactive learning in her field of interest (biomedical engineering), but to also fall in love with it. She plans to double major in biomedical engineering and public health (with a possible minor in Spanish, Materials Science, and/or Education) at either Duke University, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, or the University of Chicago. She hopes to be a part of teams (and eventually play a leading role in) creating quality medical devices that individuals of all backgrounds can easily access and use. 

Mentor Business

Forward Science

Mentor

Katherine Adkins

Forward Science® is a privately held MedTech company founded with the goal of advancing oral healthcare. OralID, Forward Science’s flagship product, is an award-winning oral cancer-screening device that allows clinicians to identify abnormalities that may not be seen under traditional white light examinations. Forward Science has since expanded its product portfolio in efforts to provide clinicians with a complete program to battle the rising trends of oral cancer. With the launch of the ID For Life™ Program, which includes its screening device (OralID), diagnostic tests (CytID, PathID, hpvID, phID), and treatment options (SalivaMAX, SalivaCAINE), Forward Science has evolved into the industry leader for oral oncology. 

Forward Science

Project Abstract

The development of dental calculus (tartar), or the accumulation and hardening of plaque, substantially hinders routine practices carried out by dental professionals and harms oral health by causing gum disease and tooth decay. Many understand the danger that calculus poses to dental well-being and actively employ strategies to prevent or mitigate calculus development (i.e. consistently brushing and flossing teeth, regularly visiting the dentist, etc.); however, those who come from economically disadvantaged communities oftentimes do not exercise these aforementioned strategies for a variety of reasons, including a simple lack of knowledge of them, financial limitations, and conflicting priorities, as explained by Dr. Juan Martinez, DDS, of Access Health. As a result, they disproportionately suffer from tartar buildup and the complications it causes. Although there are many market products that claim to loosen or completely remove tartar deposits, very few of them cater to underserved communities in terms of cost and ease of use. The purpose of this study is to hypothesize an accessible calculus/tartar removing product that could fill this market void. This study aims to develop a functional solution to a problem facing patients and care providers in the world of non-profit dental healthcare.