The contestants for this year’s Star of Science faced challenges unlike any other as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides the perfect opportunity for them to showcase their exceptional talents, ideas, and the ability in an ever-changing environment.

Qatar Foundation’s Stars of Science crowned Wadah Malaeb as the top innovator for season 12, impressing judges and voters from home by a large margin. The Lebanese engineer showcased his outstanding skills, perseverance, and personality and took home the $300,000 prize.

Due to the pandemic, the event took place virtually with finalists attending from their home countries. The ‘top innovator’ would be decided based on the judge's scores for each project and vote counts received from people around the world through their website.

Stars of Science host, Khalid Al Jumaily, shocked Wahad as he announced him as the champion for season 12 for his Ductal Organoid-on-a-Chip project, attaining the highest marks from the judges and receiving 54.8 percent of the total votes.  His project allows crucial prototype drug testing in an efficient and affordable manner while providing a suitable environment that can replicate human conditions.  

“I am beyond humbled and grateful to be named the Arab world’s top innovator this year. The Stars of Science experience was surreal, especially working alongside an amazing group of mentors and competitors under such unique circumstances,” said Wadah. “Knowing that both the public and the jury members recognized the medical need for such innovation and putting their faith in me has changed my life.”

Ahmad Fathalla came in second place for his Educational Platform Using Electronic cubes, focusing on psychoeducational focus for children through interactive games. Moreover, Eiman Al-Hamad attained the third position for her Arabic Conversation Fraud Detection program, which detects phone fraud attempts using an Arabic language database. Both have earned $150,000 and $100,000 in seed funding respectively. Mohammad Almoghawi placed fourth for his Automated Hands-Free Toothbrush focused on dental hygiene for the elderly and those with special needs, earning $50,000.

The finalists and four contests of this season’s Stars of Science will be welcomed into the prestigious Stars of Science alumni community of exceptional innovators. Moreover, QF’s Stars of Science is now encouraging Arab innovators to play for their season next, offering a chance to secure up to $300,000 in seed funding.

You can register now on www.starsofscience.com and applications will close on December 15, 2020.

---

Make sure to check out our social media to keep track of the latest content.

Instagram - @qatarliving

Twitter - @qatarliving

Facebook - Qatar Living

YouTube - qatarlivingofficial