From diagnostics to prevention, Qatar Foundation’s Stars of Science Season 17 contestants are designing tools that could save lives
DOHA, Qatar, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On the 17th season of Stars of Science, innovation isn’t just about building what’s new. It’s about seeing what’s next. As contestants deploy artificial intelligence, wearable diagnostics, and adaptive rehabilitation tools, a common theme emerges: the future of health is predictive. The most exciting breakthroughs this season don’t just treat problems, they anticipate them.
While some contestants refine diagnostics, others are pioneering innovations in prevention to address health challenges before they arise. Khaldoun Megdady from Jordan is helping surgeons prepare for the complexities of heart surgery with a 3D coronary artery simulation platform that maps and rehearses procedures in advance, reducing uncertainty and minimizing risks. “The goal is to equip surgeons with the insight to address problems proactively,” he explains.
Meanwhile, Ryad Hadj Habib from Algeria is tackling immune responses that can interfere with therapies by using a property of scorpion venom to simulate and pre-empt potential reactions, ensuring treatments are more effective. “Preventing the body from reacting negatively allows therapies to work as intended,” Habib notes. Together, their solutions highlight the season’s focus on building resilience into medicine.
Contestant Laid Dardabou from Algeria is tackling a different global concern: vitamin D deficiency. His wearable device monitors vitamin D levels in real-time, potentially guiding interventions before symptoms arise. With over one billion people globally affected by vitamin D deficiency—a condition linked to fatigue, bone loss, and immune issues—Dardabou’s solution could transform personal health maintenance. “We’re giving the body a voice before it starts to fail,” he explains.
That forward-looking mindset extends beyond medicine, too. Mohamed Alshaikh Saleh’s AI-powered EV battery system predicts failures before they occur – mirroring the same proactive principle seen across this season’s health innovations. “In a world moving toward electrification, prevention is the new safety,” he says.
Yet, it’s a philosophy that resonates beyond just these inventors. Season 17 has seen a stronger trend than ever toward solutions rooted in agility and anticipation. Whether it’s Razan Salem Bahabri’s gamified neurorehabilitation tool or Mohamed Kahna’s AR surgical system that supports decision-making in real time, the season’s innovations mark a shift toward health and technology that reacts before crisis, not after.
Few understand that better than Wahiba Chair, an Algerian Season 1 alumna, based in Canada, whose barcode-scanning app, CarrotLines, helped Canadians make healthier food choices long before health apps became mainstream. ” In 2009, when we started developing CarrotLines, we were ahead of our time,” says Chair, whose app had reached more than 100,000 users monthly and boasted over 40,000 food products.
As Wahiba Chair reflects on the early days of CarrotLines, she sees the same spirit in the new class. “The best innovations don’t wait for permission,” she says. “They anticipate what people need before they know it themselves.” If this season’s projects reach full maturity, the world could be looking at a new generation of technologies that remove uncertainty from both care and daily life – strengthening the bridge between science and society.
Through initiatives like Stars of Science, Qatar Foundation and Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP) continue to empower regional innovators to create solutions that shape a healthier, smarter, and more sustainable future.
Watch Stars of Science to find out how the contestants fare in their predictive models by tuning in weekly until October 2025.
Visit the broadcast guide on www.starsofscience.com to check the full schedule.
About Stars of Science:
Throughout 17 years of success, Stars of Science – the edutainment TV initiative of Qatar Foundation (QF) – has leveraged its position as the premier innovation show in the Arab world to empower Arab innovators to successfully transform innovative ideas into tangible solutions, strengthening the culture of innovation among Arab youth. In its sustained journey that started in 2009, the show has demonstrated how young Arab innovators develop technological solutions for their communities, aiming to improve people’s well-being, provide financial opportunities to their local citizens, and advance sustainable development.
Over a 12-week process, the contestants develop their solutions experimentally in a shared innovation space, competing against time with the mentorship and support of a team of experienced engineers and product developers.
An expert panel of jurors assesses and selects more promising innovators and their projects every week across several prototyping and testing rounds until three finalists remain to compete for a share of the Grand Prize. Jury deliberation and online voting from the public determine the rankings of the two top winners.
To know more about Stars of Science, please visit: Website, Facebook, X, Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok, and LinkedIn.
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