IceVax is a sustainable, energy-efficient refrigeration solution for communities with barriers that are limiting their access to proper refrigeration. Our goal is to bridge the gap in health outcomes experienced by these communities. During the Capstone project, we evaluated different options for assembling the most suitable prototype of IceVax, reached out to stakeholders with experience in different stages of our research, and worked through local regulations to implement IceVax in a school in Pakistan. Ultimately, our summer research led us to rethink our plan to assemble cheap and efficient parts into a functioning refrigerator, and pivot to a kit composed of parts with an accompanying blueprint and wiring schematic. By supplementing the technology with an educational component, we are hoping to offer a sustainable, long term solution that will help these communities over a long period of time. After working with implementation partners in Pakistan, we were able to source parts from Pakistan and implement IceVax in a school that was suffering from heat waves and a lack of cold water and powered fans. Our long term goals are to continue assessing our impact to optimize our implementation and expand to other communities that could benefit from IceVax.
- Huzaifa Piperdi, Biomolecular Science, 2022
- Sonny Khan, Business Administration, 2020
- Essam Alsnayyan, Undergrad Physics and Biomolecular Science (2018), Masters Epidemiology (2020)
