PHILADELPHIA – A two-day, marathon competition to win $10,000 hosted by Penn Health-Tech, a partnership of Penn Medicine and Penn Engineering, will feature 22 teams of Penn students creating devices with the potential to solve real-world health care needs. Unlike traditional “hackathons” that focus only on software, the Rothberg Catalyzer is a “makerthon,” requiring each team to come up with a physical prototype.
For example, the team that won the inaugural Rothberg Catalyzer developed a virtual reality system for epilepsy screening in children that featured a headset designed to look like Batman’s mask. After working all night on their prototypes, each team will pitch them to a team of experts in fields such as health, engineering, and entrepreneurship. Ultimately, the panel will choose a slate of winners, with the top team taking home the $10,000 along with an opportunity to further develop their product through Penn Health-Tech.
WHERE: Towne Building, 2nd Floor, 220 S. 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018
9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
9:30 AM: Mentor Discussion
10:30: Final Pitch Practice
WHO:
- Jonathan Rothberg, PhD, event namesake, founder and CSO of 4Catalyzer
- Victoria Berenholz, executive director, Penn Health-Tech
- Vanessa Chan, professor of Practice Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Penn Engineering
- 22 design teams of Penn students
Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, excellence in patient care, and community service. The organization consists of the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) and Penn’s Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school.
The Perelman School of Medicine is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $580 million awarded in the 2023 fiscal year. Home to a proud history of “firsts,” Penn Medicine teams have pioneered discoveries that have shaped modern medicine, including CAR T cell therapy for cancer and the Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System cares for patients in facilities and their homes stretching from the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania to the New Jersey shore. UPHS facilities include the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Chester County Hospital, Doylestown Health, Lancaster General Health, Princeton Health, and Pennsylvania Hospital—the nation’s first hospital, chartered in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Penn Medicine at Home, GSPP Rehabilitation, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.
Penn Medicine is an $11.9 billion enterprise powered by nearly 49,000 talented faculty and staff.