Alice A. Chen, a biomedical engineer and graduate student in the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST) and Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), today received the prestigious $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for her innovative applications of microtechnology to study human health and disease. A fearless problem solver with a passion for mentorship, Chen is honored alongside three 2011 $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Collegiate Student Prize winners from across the nation.

"Alice Chen's inventive accomplishments will impact the effectiveness of new therapies. Her passion to tackle problems and create solutions through collaboration and tenacity are qualities that must be celebrated at the collegiate level," states Joshua Schuler, executive director of the Lemelson-MIT Program. "Much like this year's winners from Caltech, RPI and UIUC, Alice's approach to problem-solving proves that with hard work and creativity, it is possible to invent broadly and introduce innovations to the world."

Chen's innovations have always sprung from her ability to make unique connections — whether it is linking approaches gathered from disparate fields, problems to novel solutions or the relationships with others to build successful teams. It is a characteristic that makes the 29-year-old thrive when faced with a new challenge. Combining micro- and nano-technology-based approaches to biological questions, Chen developed an assortment of innovations with implications for drug development and disease modeling.

To read the full press release about the 2010 $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize winner, visit: http://web.mit.edu/invent/n-pressreleases/n-press-11SP.html

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