UCLA Biodesign Teams Earn First Place and Semifinalist Recognition at 2026 UCLA Knapp Venture Competition

Two UCLA Biodesign teams, EndoSight Systems and DioTex Diagnostics, advanced in the 2026 UCLA Knapp Venture Competition, held on May 13, 2026. EndoSight Systems earned first place and a $40,000 prize, while DioTex Diagnostics was recognized as a semifinalist.

EndoSight Systems — First Place

EndoSight Systems earned first place for its development of an autonomous robotic system designed to expand access to nasal cavity and laryngeal examinations. The technology is intended to enable examinations to be performed in a broader range of clinical settings, with findings reviewed asynchronously by a remote specialist.

The technology is being developed by Keer Zhang, a third-year medical student at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a UCLA Biodesign Discovery Fellow. The team also includes Serena Agrawal, Evan Harber, Benjamin Forbes, Derek Song, and Mumbi Whidby.

Faculty and clinical advisors include Jennifer Long, MD, and Dinesh Chhetri, MD, of UCLA Head and Neck Surgery; Veronica Santos, PhD, associate dean for inclusive excellence and faculty affairs at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering; and UCLA Head and Neck Surgery residents Erick Vanstrum, MD, and Shady Soliman, MD.

DioTex Diagnostics — Semifinalist

DioTex Diagnostics was recognized as a semifinalist for its development of a point-of-care diagnostic device designed to support the rapid identification and triage of internal hemorrhage. The technology was developed through multidisciplinary collaboration among physicians and engineers.

The team is led by Amanda Ruci, a third-year medical student at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a UCLA Biodesign Accelerator Fellow. The team also includes Amy Truong, a UCLA Anderson School of Management MBA student, and Masa Ticar, a UCLA School of Law student.