PhD student Elochukwu Uzim with Dr. Talei Jioji were awarded second place at the Innovation for Healthcare Access 2025 Conference, held October 27–28, 2025, at the BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC) on Rice University’s campus. Organized by the Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies, the conference brought together participants from the Rice community, the Texas Medical Center, non-profit organizations, healthcare providers, and state and national policymakers.
Uzim’s project, “Beyond Bluetoothing: Addressing Interlinked HIV and Meth Crises Among Fijian Youth through Community-Led Tech Interventions,” earned second place for both its topic and presentation. The project proposes MHealth, a discreet, community-led mobile health platform co-designed with Fijan youth for testing and harm reduction.
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