Mahima Goel, a student at Carle Illinois College of Medicine (CI MED), has been awarded the prestigious Fiddler Innovation Fellowship for her groundbreaking work on a portable device aimed at preventing chemotherapy-induced hair loss in cancer patients. The fellowship, which includes a $10,000 prize, will help Goel further develop her innovative project, CAPSLocks, and support her team’s ongoing efforts to improve the lives of cancer patients.
“This award highlights the global impact of integrating engineering and medicine, and it marks another step forward in increasing both funding and awareness for cancer supportive care,” said Goel.
CAPSLocks, a novel scalp-cooling device, is a portable and affordable alternative to existing FDA-approved technologies. It helps prevent chemotherapy drugs from reaching the hair follicles by cooling the scalp during chemotherapy infusions. Goel was inspired to create a more accessible version of this technology during her clinical rotations at Carle Health’s Mills Breast Center, where she learned firsthand about the challenges faced by patients using bulky and expensive cooling systems.
The CAPSLocks prototype is a compact, lightweight, and affordable solution—less than half the size, weight, and cost of current market options. It features several patient-centric innovations, including a removable battery pack, an angled LCD screen display, and an electrically inert coolant that enhances both safety and comfort. These improvements allow patients to remain mobile during treatments and even travel home immediately after their infusion sessions. The portability of the device could shorten the time patients need to stay at infusion centers by up to two hours per session.
“This award will help propel the CAPSLocks project forward,” Goel added. “With our team of oncologists, mechanical engineering experts from UIUC, and medical students, we plan to use the funds to advance the prototype and continue testing for safety and effectiveness. Our goal is to make scalp cooling accessible to all cancer patients.”
The Fiddler Innovation Fellowship, presented by the Emerging Digital Research and Education in Arts Media (eDream) Institute at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), recognizes students who tackle global or societal challenges through interdisciplinary approaches. The fellowship is part of a $2 million endowment established by computer science alumnus Jerry Fiddler and his wife, Melissa Alden, at the University of Illinois.
Finalists for the Fiddler Fellowship and Illinois Innovation Award
Two other CI MED students, Jeffrey Lu and Christian Guerrero-Juarez, were selected as finalists for the Fiddler Innovation Fellowship. Lu, the founder of Ferritiva, has developed a prototype for an at-home iron deficiency screening strip that uses non-invasive biofluids like urine. This innovation aims to provide rapid, accessible testing for a health issue affecting various populations, including young women, athletes, children, the elderly, and those in underserved communities.
Additionally, two CI MED students were named finalists for the Illinois Innovation Award, which honors groundbreaking innovation that addresses real-world problems. Tessabella Magliochetti was recognized for her development of AmnioAlert, a home-based system for detecting amniotic fluid leakage, helping to predict labor onset for expectant mothers. Meanwhile, Bhargavee Gnanasambandam is tackling disparities in cervical cancer screening. She co-founded Cervicare, a rapid, less invasive, and more affordable cervical cancer screening test, designed to reach populations with limited access to healthcare.
These students represent the continued commitment of Carle Illinois College of Medicine to advance healthcare innovation and improve patient outcomes through interdisciplinary collaboration.
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