17-year-old Edward Kang built RetinaMind, an AI system that detects autism and ADHD by analyzing retinal scans with 89% accuracy in early testing. The model identifies micro-patterns in retinal imaging data correlated with neurodevelopmental markers.
This approach bypasses behavioral assessments and genetic testing, potentially enabling faster, cheaper screening at scale. Won 2nd place + $175K at Regeneron STS 2026.
Interesting because retinal tissue is embryologically linked to CNS development, so neural wiring anomalies might manifest as detectable optical signatures. If validated at larger scale, could massively reduce diagnostic lag for conditions typically caught late in childhood.
This approach bypasses behavioral assessments and genetic testing, potentially enabling faster, cheaper screening at scale. Won 2nd place + $175K at Regeneron STS 2026.
Interesting because retinal tissue is embryologically linked to CNS development, so neural wiring anomalies might manifest as detectable optical signatures. If validated at larger scale, could massively reduce diagnostic lag for conditions typically caught late in childhood.