GITAM Scholar Wins PM Fellowship for Portable Heart Attack Device
Konda Venkata Sai, a Ph.D. scholar at GITAM Deemed to be University, has been awarded the prestigious Prime Minister’s Fellowship for Doctoral Research (ANRF-CII), emerging as one of only 51 scholars selected nationwide.
Speaking to The Coastal Times, Sai said the fellowship is both a recognition and a responsibility. “It is a proud moment for me and for our university. This support motivates us to work harder on solutions that can directly benefit society, especially in the healthcare sector,” he said.
Under the guidance of Dr. Rahul Kumar, Sai is developing MYOTRACK, a portable point-of-care biosensor designed to improve the speed and accuracy of heart attack diagnosis. The device aims to overcome gaps in conventional diagnostic systems by enabling faster detection, particularly in emergencies and low-resource healthcare settings.
Explaining the need for the innovation, Sai said many patients lose valuable time due to delays in testing and diagnosis. “MYOTRACK is designed to be portable, affordable, and easy to use. It can be deployed in ambulances, rural clinics, and primary healthcare centres where advanced testing infrastructure may not be available,” he added.
The innovation is expected to strengthen preventive cardiac care in India by helping doctors identify heart attacks earlier and begin treatment sooner.
Dr. Rahul Kumar also highlighted the wider impact of the research. “This project reflects how academic research can address real-world challenges. Affordable and rapid diagnostics can transform frontline healthcare delivery, not only in India but globally,” he said.
Beyond cardiac care, the technology’s core platform can also be adapted to detect biomarkers linked to neurological and inflammatory diseases, opening doors for future medical applications.
The research team is now seeking strategic investments to scale the technology and bring rapid, accessible diagnostics to a larger population.