Success Stories
"My vision for life has transformed. I used to be just a student, attending classes to pass exams while secretly dreaming of participating in Stars of Science. And now? I push myself every day and have risen to be one of the top nine young innovators in the Arab world." says Ahmed Zahlan, Stars of Science Season 10 alumnus.
Project & Impact
Ahmed is passionate about innovation and empowering people worldwide who suffer from Celiac Disease to embrace and take pride in their condition. Celiac Disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder where the consumption of gluten hinders the body's ability to absorb essential nutrients during digestion.
As someone who suffers from Celiac Disease, Ahmed is determined to make a groundbreaking innovation to meet the growing needs of the medical community. During his participation in Season 10 of Stars of Science, he invented Glutect, a contactless gluten detector that 'scans' food using infrared waves. As his product continues to develop, his vision for the future includes a user-friendly app that can be accessed directly from any smartphone. For Ahmed, direct access and immediate results are crucial!
The Aftermath of Stars of Science
While still in his final year at the National School of Applied Sciences in Morocco, Ahmed Zahlan sought investment for his project and was incubated by Orange Corners, a Dutch initiative in Morocco. There, he refined his prototype daily. "Stars of Science gave me the chance to share my idea, receive feedback from specialists and Celiac Disease patients, and ultimately share my innovation with the world. You only fail when you stop trying," he explained.
After Stars of Science, he was named the best innovator in Morocco in 2019 and recognized by INSEEC PARIS for the best project in the 2020 Hackathon for digestive diseases. In 2021, he was a finalist in a competition between Africa Business School and Columbia University and won second prize for innovation in an e-health competition in Morocco.
Ahmed is now a final-year PhD student at the Africa Business School, UM6P in Morocco, focusing on AI healthcare startups. He examines crucial elements for team success, data significance, and the role of partnerships. He also taught an "Introduction to Entrepreneurship" course to undergraduate computer science students in spring 2024.
As a teaching assistant for Columbia Business School professors, Ahmed's role followed his Fulbright scholarship, allowing him to spend 18 months at Columbia University as a visiting researcher. In summer 2024, he will be a visiting scholar at ETH Zurich, advancing his research on the legitimacy of AI healthcare startups.
Ahmed plans to defend his thesis in early 2025. Throughout his PhD studies, he has published on AI innovation and healthcare startups in the Technology and Society Journal and developed a teaching case on data challenges faced by AI healthcare startups.
Follow Ahmed on:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AhmedZahlanSOS/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr.gluten.morocco/
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