Dasia Taylor is a senior at Iowa City West High School. She’s working to develop and produce medical sutures, dyed with beets, that can detect infections and alert patients to signs of risk.

According to the WHO patients with surgical site infections are twice as likely to spend time in an intensive care unit, five times more likely to be readmitted after discharge. And twice as likely to die.

Out of nearly 2000 students Taylor was recently named one of 40 finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Scholar program and awarded $25,000 for her work.

Want to learn more about health equity, surigical site infections and Taylor's work? Check out these links.

The difference between a stich and a suture, Healthline.com

Frequently Asked Questions about Surgical Site Infections, CDC.gov

Surgical site infections are the most common and costly of hospital infections, Science Daily

WHO Guidelines for Safe Surgery 2009

17-Year-Old Dasia Taylor Receives Recognition For Developing Color-Changing Sutures to Detect Infection” AfroTech.com

West High senior Dasia Taylor recognized as Regeneron Science Talent Search Finalist, The Daily Iowan

Health equity: challenges in low income countries

Closing the Health Equity Gap, WHO

We Must Enhance—but also Decolonize—America’s Global Health Diplomacy, Scientific American

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