Students earn 5th place at Emory Morningside Global Health Case Competition
A team of NEOMED students earned 5th place at the international Emory Morningside Global Health Case Competition, showcasing their interdisciplinary approach to solving complex global health challenges. More than 30 teams from around the world participated in the competition.
Tasked with addressing a fictional but highly realistic scenario, the team focused on the coastal region of Kifaru, an area experiencing severe agricultural collapse due to climate-driven salinization. As saltwater intrusion rendered farmland unusable, the region became increasingly dependent on ultra-processed food aid, contributing to rising rates of malnutrition and chronic disease.
In response, the NEOMED team developed “Project Salt,” a phased, systems-based intervention designed to transition Kifaru from emergency food dependence to a self-sustaining, locally driven agricultural economy. The proposal combined immediate and long-term strategies to address both health and environmental challenges.
Short-term interventions included targeted nutritional supplementation and vector control efforts to stabilize population health. Longer-term solutions focused on restoring agricultural viability through innovative techniques such as phytodesalination—using salt-absorbing crops to rehabilitate soil—along with salt-tolerant farming practices, microbial soil support, and the eventual development of mangrove ecosystems to strengthen climate resilience, food security, and local livelihoods.
The team included first-year medical students Rhea Mahajan, Isabeau (Beau) Pagnard, Mariena Passidomo and Elliot Arazi, Master of Science in Basic and Translational Biomedicine Innovation Track student Aditya Datye, and University of Michigan Ross School of Business student Kaila Morris.
As part of the competition, participants were challenged to distill their ideas into a one-page executive summary and deliver a 12-minute presentation supported by slides, followed by a rigorous Q&A session requiring both strategic thinking and clear communication under time constraints.
Reflecting on the experience, the team emphasized the value of working across disciplines to address complex global issues. Collaborating with peers in medicine, innovation and business allowed them to approach the problem from multiple perspectives while developing practical, scalable solutions.
“This was an incredibly rewarding experience,” the team’s captain, Rhea, shared. “It pushed us to think beyond our usual boundaries, collaborate decisively under pressure, and engage with realworld global health challenges. It was especially meaningful to represent NEOMED on an international stage and learn from the innovative ideas presented by other teams.”