top of page

JACK

ANDRAKA

INNOVATOR & SPEAKER

ABOUT

JACK!

JACK ANDRAKA is a National Geographic Emerging Explorer who speaks to audiences of youths and adults all across the globe about his personal story, research, and his ideas for STEM education reform and fostering innovation and creativity.

 

His journey began at age fifteen when, after losing a close family friend to pancreatic cancer, he invented an inexpensive early detection method for pancreatic, ovarian, and lung cancer that costs 3 cents and takes 5 minutes to run.

​

Now studying electrical engineering and public policy at Stanford, Andraka conducts research on nanorobots, inexpensive biosensors, disease diagnostics, water filters, and econometrics while serving as faculty at the Stanford Anesthesiology Summer Institute. 

About

SPEAKING

      TOPICS

"This kid is the Edison of our times.

There are going to be a lot of light bulbs coming from him."
-- Dr. Anirban Maitra, Johns Hopkins University, The Baltimore Sun

​

"He did an eight-minute presentation on the research he’d done and what he discovered,” Spurlock says, “and after I watched that I was like, ‘

This guy is fantastic. I need to make a film about him.’”

-- Morgan Spurlock, Documentary Filmmaker

​

“Jack Andraka was the epitome of a professional. His presence was felt by all – and he inspired a great deal of folks in our audience. Jack’s presentation skills paired with his etiquette really blew many of us away.”

—Boston Scientific

Speaking Topics

BIG DATA
AND 
EDUCATION

In this talk, Jack discusses the need for a reworking of our K-12 curriculum to prepare students for the data age, where every field from social justice to electrical engineering has been revolutionized by big data. He breaks down the story, history, and basic science of big data and discusses how to integrate the tools and strategy of data science into curriculums nationwide. By demystifying what data science is and how to use it, Jack sets out a bold vision where every student is data literate and is empowered to take charge of our increasingly data-drive world.

A NEW APPROACH TO HEALTH

Jack discusses a new paradigm of health, one where patients and healthcare providers collaborate to create a health experience tailored to the patient’s needs. He brings together the latest, cutting-edge research with his own experience and work to detail how to pioneer this new patient-doctor relationship through a diverse collection of stories and lessons learned from Ebola, the U.S. healthcare system, and global health interventions. Jack also discusses how new technologies such as 3D printing, real-time genetic sequencing, and molecular diagnostics will factor into this holistic version of health and how to use these technologies to personalize a patient’s health experience.

THE POWER OF HUMANITIES IN TECH

An electrical engineer and anthropologist, Jack discusses the need for the humanities in STEM fields and how these unlikely collaborations can yield results that change the world. From obtaining a better understanding of the consumer to predicting and preventing misuse of technology, Jack discusses how the qualitative insights of the humanities can be married with cutting-edge science and engineering to create breakthrough in fields from biomedicine to big data.

INNOVATION AND EXPLORATION

In this talk, Jack tells his own unlikely story of how he – a high school student who didn’t know what a pancreas was- created a new way to detect early-stage pancreatic cancer for 3 cents in 5 minutes. He then discusses his current work as a National Geographic Emerging Explorer working on issues ranging from crowdsourcing environmental monitoring in Tanzania to investigating the causes of the Ebola epidemic. Jack then reveals how anyone can become an explorer and learn how to change the world around through passion and perseverance.

RECENT SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

  • Milken Institute Global       

  • Stanford Medicine X

  • Wikimania, London, UK

  • Health Informatics, Australia

  • Bold Talks, Dubai, UAE

  • National Academy of Future Physicians

  • AARP

  • Boston Scientific

  • Boston Children’s Hospital

  • Klick Health

  • Clinton Health Initiative

  • Wired for Wonder Australia

  • Ideacity2015

  • Nat Geo Cengage

  • Dare 2B Digital

  • Maryland Economic Development Association

  • Intel

  • Innotown (Norway)

  • Barkley

  • American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

  • Lamplighter School Dallas

  • Texas Association of Gifted Teens

  • Los Angeles YPO

  • VitaFX.org (Santiago, Chile)

  • Association of Home Office Underwriters

  • Orange County YPO

  • Tecnológico de Monterrey

  • TED Talk

  • SXSW Edu

  • American Montessori Association

  • Chopra’s Sages and Scientists

  • National Geographic Emerging Explorer Conf.

  • Intel

  • 92nd Street Y 21st Century Conf.  

SPEAKING REQUEST

contact

Success! Message received.

Book Jack
bottom of page