Martha Aikiriza
Class of 2022-2023
Makerere University, 2019
Biomedical Engineering Major
Why did you choose ESTEEM?
I choose ESTEEM because the courses and year-long practical immersion into product development stood out. I also wanted to become a competent product developer by gaining knowledge in entrepreneurship given my technical background
What is your Capstone Project and why are you excited about it?
The increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases and an ageing population has resulted in a silent epidemic of chronic wounds. These wounds are complex in nature and usually take 3 weeks to months to heal, creating a window for infections to incubate in the patient’s body. While the current wound care market offers a variety of technologies to manage these wounds, most of these technologies don’t offer effective biofilm removal and often cause pain to the patient, prolonged hospital stays, high costs for health services, and require skilled health workers to operate. Developing technologies that remove biofilms and bacteria facilitate rapid wound healing and would go a long way in contributing to an improved experience for both patients and caregivers
The student will be working with Sloan Valve Inc., a market leader specializing in a broad range of products within the commercial bathroom space to define a value proposal for their novel water-based wound treatment device that will drive the development of a complete business plan and comprehensive strategy that will facilitate integrating the device into the clinical environment for wound care.
What do you hope to do after ESTEEM?
I am interested in consulting particularly in fields that drive social impact such as healthcare. I am a firm believer in human centered design/research.
What do you like to do in your free time?
I love trying out new recipes, spending time with family and friends and traveling