WASH SRI 2026 Health Policy Case Competition
The WASH SRI Health Policy Case Competition 26' was a unique experience for students to independently demonstrate their research and presentation skills on a selected health policy topic of their choosing. Congratulations to everyone who participated and learned from this enriching experience! Below you can see the winning presentations and hear from some of our winners experiences!
Bringing Care to the Rural North-- 1st Place
The Surge Shield -- 2nd Place
Healthcare for Rural North -- 3rd place
1st Place Winner: Anaya Kumar
"I am so glad I participated in this case competition. I had never done one before, so I was a little nervous, but also really excited. It ended up being a huge learning experience, especially working with my teammates. Winning my first one is something I will always remember, and I am excited to do more. Thank you to WASH for this opportunity"
1st Place Winner: Shane Singh
"Hello! My name is Shane Singh, and participating in the Computational Bioinformatics cohort has been a great honor for me this summer. As a rising junior in high school, I am set to take college biology come September, and possibly computer science, which this program has background pertaining to both. Not only has this program been beneficial to me for future academic endeavors to come in school, but on a personal level, I enjoyed it very much, as well. I've always wanted to do something outside of basic coding, and because of WASH, I was able to observe a gene from literal strings of code and computational text! This experience truly means so much to me, and I can't wait to move forward with the knowledge I've gained from WASH."
1st Place Winner: Soumithri Srihari
"During WASH SRI, I was able to learn a lot about computational bioinformatics and its applications in the real world. Through this program, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of Python and how it helps to solve challenges in the biology field. I was very proud of my research project which analyzed mutations in two different genes and was able to gain further guidance and feedback from the wonderful WASH mentors! Each class was super insightful, informative, and was also very fun and engaging. I was also able to participate in the WASH Case Competition which helped me with my teamwork and critical thinking skills. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience in the WASH program!"
2nd Place Winner: Anika Poojary
"WASH SRI has taught me so much over the past few weeks, and I’m truly grateful to have been part of this program. I had the opportunity to learn from inspiring mentors and like-minded peers while exploring Computational Biology. Moreover, the program expanded my knowledge beyond biology, such as coding and data analysis, and showed me how interdisciplinary research can solve real-world healthcare challenges.
Winning 2nd place in the Health Policy Case Competition was a rewarding achievement. The experience strengthened my critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills, while also giving me the confidence to continue pursuing research and inspiring me to keep learning something new every day."
2nd Place Winner: Tvisha Rathinam
"Participating in the WASH Health Policy Case Competition was an incredibly rewarding experience. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to merge my passions for science and social impact. It was such a privilege to be able to collaborate with talented peers and present our ideas to others. Winning second place means so much to me because it validates our hard work and proves the power of our collective ideas. I'm truly grateful to the WASH team for this extraordinary honor!"
3rd Place Winners: Temperance Li and Lily C