Three biomedical engineering students have won national scholarships from the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation, including the group’s most-prestigious award.

Alessandra Yoldas received the AAMI-Health Systems Engineering Alliance Engineering Scholarship, which supports students interested in health systems engineering. Kelly Qiu and Suraj Rejendran received 2021 Michael J. Miller scholarships. All three are undergraduates in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering.

“I am grateful and thankful for my friends at Georgia Tech, who have spent hours studying with me and supporting me throughout my time here,” Yoldas said. “I am truly honored to be receiving this opportunity. This will help accelerate my path towards working on the front line of medical research and technology as we continue to bridge the gap between healthcare and robotics.”

The association says the scholarships are more than financial support; the group’s members and staff rally behind winners to support their education and careers and help them continue to succeed. The group awards only six scholarships each year.

“This award provides an incredible opportunity to be part of the AAMI network of professionals working in the healthcare technology and medical device fields,” said Qiu, who wants to use computing to enhance medical devices. “As a biomedical engineering student, I aim to innovate to improve patient outcomes and make a difference in medical technologies, and I am grateful for the support and network AAMI has provided.”

Rajendran plans to pursue a Ph.D. in computational biology, merging his interests in biomedical engineering and computing technology.

“The AAMI Foundation Scholarship will supplement my academic and professional goals by providing me with valuable connections around the world,” Rajendran told the association. “By receiving the AAMI Foundation Scholarship, I feel as though I'm one step closer to making a real, progressive impact on the world.”