Vellore: He has been burning midnight oil trying to develop a technique to treat a speech disorder which at the moment has no effective cure. The hard work and commitment has won Shubham Saraff, a third year student of B.Tech in computer science engineering at the Vellore Institute of Technology, the opportunity to represent Asia in the ‘Present Around the World’ (PATW) contest to be held at London in November.
His technical presentation on ‘Mirror Neurons’ as part of his topic on ‘Neurons that shaped us’, wherein he delved on how his treatment process uses neurons present in the prefrontal cortex of the brain the part of the brain at the frontal lobe that is involved in complex processes like reason, logic, problem solving, planning and memory won Shubham the place in the global finals at London after the recent South Asia finals in Bengaluru. He is also in the initial stages of developing a mobile application as a part of the speech disorder treatment process.
PATW is a global competition organised by The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) of the UK for over 15 years for young professionals and students aged between 18 and 30 to provide a platform to explore their talent and innovative thinking in engineering and technology. The IET in a statement sent to the VIT said Shubham is one of the youngest participants in the competition, adding, “It is indeed a moment of pride for your University”.
The budding genius is naturally elated and “hugely excited”. He has received many awards not only in academics but also in various cultural events including ‘Distinction in Speech and Drama’ from Trinity College of London. He is a licensed scuba diver, boxer, and a keen sky diver.
