Florida teen wins Orlando Science Center competition using AI to simplify dementia diagnosis
William Wakefield, a senior at Pine Crest School in Boca Raton, won first place at the 2025 Dr. Nelson Ying Science Competition at Orlando Science Center.
His AI project, inspired by his grandfather's Alzheimer's-related death, simplifies dementia diagnosis to one brain scan with 95% accuracy.
Developed at Mayo Clinic's Neurology AI lab, his tool earned him a $5,000 scholarship, $1,000 for his teacher, and $1,000 for his school. William, who will attend Yale University, also published in Alzheimer's & Dementia and presented at a major Alzheimer's conference.
The competition, run by the Orlando Science Center and Dr. Nelson Ying since 1999, honors Florida high school students tackling real-world problems.
Finalists from across the state presented to judges from Lockheed Martin and the University of Central Florida. Other notable projects included:
Aksh Ladegaonkar (Bartow High School), who won $1,000 for a targeted pancreatic cancer treatment inspired by his aunt's diagnosis.
Joanne Choi (A.W. Dreyfoos School, West Palm Beach), who found a bacteria to fight brain-eating amoebas.
Alyssa May (Lake Brantley High School, Altamonte Springs), who surveyed Floridians to support Florida panther conservation.
Mahie Patil (Orlando Science High School), who built an AI tool to measure attentiveness in conversations.
The competition inspires young scientists, with past winners pursuing STEM careers at places like NASA and starting their own companies.
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