Fort Bend ISD

Student Biography

Tharun Nayar is currently a senior at Elkins High School. During his high school career, Tharun engaged in Speech and Debate, - where he qualified for the International Tournament of Champions and ranked 90th nationally - Internet for Houston, - where he connected with companies such as Comcast in order to service underprivileged communities in Houston with internet access during the pandemic - and Operation Backpack - which aims to assist the homeless population in Houston with backpacks full of basic living supplies. As a part of GT Mentorship, Tharun was mentored under Homer Quintana at the Houston Methodist Center for Rapid Device Translation. During this experience, he was able to obtain insight into various business aspects in the medical technology/biomedical field and gain the ability and knowledge to conduct a clinical trial and create a final product for a device. He would like to thank Mrs. Bryant for her caring nature, and of course, their extensive conversations entailing everything from wordplay to hair days!  In the fall, Tharun plans to matriculate at Texas A&M University studying Biomedical Engineering.

Center for Rapid Device Translation, Methodist Research Institute

Homer Quintana, Mentor

The Houston Methodist Research Institute is an organization committed to developing the best, most innovative science and technology from the design bench to the patient's bedside through a program of translational and interdisciplinary research and education. More specifically at Houston Methodist, fostering innovations with the potential for clinical application is at the very heart of what they do. The various interdisciplinary teams of clinicians and researchers are committed to streamlining the process of translating discoveries into treatments and cures for their patients. They seek to implement seamless integration of research and clinical care from multiple sources — internal or external to our organization whether local, national or international — as their ultimate mission is to be united in the service of their patients. Overall, they employ three key concepts to achieve such goals — a multidisciplinary team approach, an emphasis on collaboration over competition and a resource-rich environment of facilities, tools and educational opportunities. Their focus is on novel approaches to regenerative medicine, precision medicine, and outcomes, quality and health care performance.