About the Frugal Science Academy

Scientific tools are both an enabler and an impediment.

Access to hardware often determines who can or cannot participate in scientific experimentation. The Frugal Science Academy bridges this gap by supporting high school students and educators to create, build, and test frugal tools for science education and global health.

We are currently seeking tinkerers who are excited by the challenge of developing novel solutions within the constraints of limited resources. Inspiration comes from being curious and investigating everyday items to harness physical properties. We seek students and teachers to participate in on-going frugal science opportunities.

Saad Bhamla

Meet The Team

Saad Bhamla studies biomechanics across species to engineer knowledge and tools that inspire curiosity.

Saad Bhamla is an assistant professor of biomolecular engineering at Georgia Tech. A self-proclaimed "tinkerer," his lab is a trove of discoveries and inventions that span biology, physics and engineering. His current projects include studying the hydrodynamics of insect urine, worm blob locomotion and ultra-low-cost devices for global health. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Economist, CNN, Wired, NPR, the Wall Street Journal and more.

Janet Standeven

Hossam Ismail

Janet Standeven oversees and coordinates the Frugal Science Academy, to empower the next generation of engineers, inventors, and change makers.

As a former high school educator she recruits and manages interns and teacher training initiatives to increase synthetic biology education and accessibility in public health initiatives. She’s a former Georgia Biotechnology Teacher of the Year, and award winning International Genetically Engineered Competition (iGEM) advisor.

Hossam Ismail

Lab Tech FSA and Tinkerer

Lab Tech for Frugal Science with a research focus on the biomechanics of insects as well as bio-inspired engineering.

Meet the Team

Rajas Poorna

RESEARCH ADVISOR
Rajas is a big fan of low-tech, and is working on low-cost methods to enable diagnostic tests at the point of care that use no reagents.

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Summer Interns 2023

MAKERS
Our Summer Interns; Vineeth S, Avi K, Aditya L, Manasvi G, Natalie T, Alina S

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Charles Anderson

MAKER
An Undergraduate who studies frugal design of biomedical devices

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Priya Soneji

MAKER
An Undergraduate who innovates low-cost optical devices.

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Annika Joshi

MAKER
I am a high school senior. For the past year, I have been working on developing a piezoelectric nanocomposite that can be used in improved treatments to sensory receptor damage. I will be conducting research on integrating this material into a low-cost cochlear implanting goes here

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Michelle Jing

Intern Spring 2024
Hi there! My name is Michelle- or if you’re into synbio puns, Migelle. I’m a ChBE major interested in biotech and bioart. When I’m not in the lab, you can find me playing with my cat, crocheting cute plushies, or consuming immense amounts of matcha.

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Daeun Lee

Intern Spring 2024
Hi, I’m Daeun (I also go by Esther). I am working on CRISPR interference in cell-free systems and helping develop educational modules to bring this technology into classroom settings.

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Akshaya Poonepalle

Intern Spring 2024
Hi, I'm Akshaya. I'm an undergraduate at Georgia Tech, and I am currently working on designing low-cost educational modules using OpenCell (a frugal bead homogenizer, microcentrifuge, and vortex).

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Arjun Shah

Intern Fall 2023
Hello, my name is Arjun Shah and I am a senior at Lambert High School. I am currently working on a frugal 3D-printed prosthetic hand that will allow the user to have full control of their prosthesis while only using muscular/neurological power and no body- powered movement.”

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