HEALTH HACK 2026

Improving Health Access for All
In collaboration with VIT Bhopal University × Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering
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Improving Health Access for All

Health Hack 2026 is a transformative hackathon that brings together students, faculty, healthcare professionals, and innovators to address pressing challenges in healthcare accessibility. Organized by VIT Bhopal University in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, this event aims to foster innovation through cutting-edge technology solutions including telemedicine, AI-powered diagnostics, wearable health devices, and data-driven public health strategies. Participants will have the opportunity to work on real-world health problems, receive mentorship from industry experts and academic leaders, and contribute to solutions that can improve healthcare delivery across diverse populations. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and creative problem-solving, Health Hack 2026 seeks to accelerate the development of accessible, affordable, and sustainable healthcare innovations that can make a meaningful impact on global health outcomes.

Organizing & Advisory Committees

CHIEF PATRON
Dr. G. Viswanathan

Hon'ble Dr. G. Viswanathan

Chief Patron
Founder & Chancellor, VIT Bhopal University
PATRONS
Mr. Sankar Viswanathan

Mr. Sankar Viswanathan

Patron
Vice President, VIT Bhopal University
Ms. Kadhambari S. Viswanathan

Ms. Kadhambari S. Viswanathan

Patron
Assistant Vice President, VIT Bhopal University
Mrs. Ramani Balasundaram

Mrs. Ramani Balasundaram

Patron
Trustee, VIT Bhopal University
CO-PATRONS
Dr. T.B. Sridharan

Dr. T.B. Sridharan

Co-Patron
Pro Vice Chancellor, VIT Bhopal University
Mr. K.K. Nair

Mr. K.K.Nair

Co-Patron
Acting Registrar, VIT Bhopal University
Dr. Debashis Adhikari

Dr. Debashis Adhikari

Co-Patron
Dean Faculty Affairs & General Admin, VIT Bhopal University
Dr. Sridevi Sarma

Dr. Sridevi Sarma

Co-Patron
Vice Dean for Graduate Education | Whiting School of Engineering | Professor, Biomedical Engineering | Associate Director, Institute for Computational Medicine | Johns Hopkins University, USA
CONVENORS
Dr. Siddhartha Maiti

Dr. Siddhartha Maiti

Convenor
Associate Professor & Programme Chair | School of Biosciences Engineering & Technology, VIT Bhopal University
Dr. Siddharth Singh Chouhan

Dr. Siddharth Singh Chouhan

Convenor
Assistant Professor Senior & Programme Chair | School of Computing Science Engineering & Artificial Intelligence, VIT Bhopal University
Dr. Youseph Yazdi

Dr. Youseph Yazdi

Convenor
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering | Executive Director, Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design (CBID) | Innovation Director, NIH BluePrint Neurotech Harbor Program | Whiting School of Engineering and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine | Johns Hopkins University, USA
Dr. Hedy Alavi

Dr. Hedy Alavi

Convenor
Associate Dean for Global Partnerships - Whiting School of Engineering | Chair - Environmental Engineering, Science, Management, and Sustainability Master's Degree Programs, Engineering for Professionals | Teaching Professor Environmental Engineering, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering - Whiting School of Engineering and Bloomberg School of Public Health | Johns Hopkins University, USA
CO-CONVENOR
Dr. Seenivasan R

Dr. Seenivasan R

Co-Convenor
Director-International Relations Office, Professor - Center for Nanobiotechnology | VIT-Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore

Dr. Sathish Kumar B.

Professor, VIT Chennai

Dr. S.Ananthakumran Reddy

Dean Academics, VIT Bhopal

Dr. Poonkuntran S

Executive Dean SCSE, VIT Bhopal

Dr. Pushpinder Singh Patheja

Dean SCOPE, VIT Bhopal

Dr. Pon Harshashavardhan

Dean SCAI, VIT Bhopal

Dr. Sheetal Sharma

Dean SOA, VIT Bhopal

Dr. Hemant Kumar Nashine

Dean SASL, VIT Bhopal

Dr. M.Suresh

Dean SEEE, VIT Bhopal

Dr. Balaguru S

Dean i/c SMEC, VIT Bhopal

Dr. Prasad Bedge

Dean i/c VITBS, VIT Bhopal

Dr. Shriram R

Deputy Director-Placement, VIT Bhopal

Dr. Anant Kant Shukla

Director Student Welfare, VIT Bhopal

Dr. Rajneesh Kumar Patel

Coordinator

Dr. Anju Shukla

Coordinator

Dr. Rajdeep Singh Payal

Coordinator

Dr. Sarvanan D

Coordinator

Dr. Lakshmi D

Coordinator

Dr. V Sivasankaran

Coordinator

Dr. Suresh Dara

Coordinator

Dr. Thiyagu Priyadharsan

Coordinator

Dr. Hemraj Lamkuche

Coordinator

Dr. Deeksha Singh

Coordinator

Dr. Jastin Samuel

Coordinator

Dr. Ankur Beohar

Coordinator

Dr. Karthik GL

Coordinator

Dr. Monica P

Coordinator

Dr. Rohit Sharma

Coordinator

Dr. Deep Chandra Upadhyay

Coordinator

Dr. Devaraju S

Coordinator

Dr. Shagun Sharma

Coordinator

Prof. Pavithra

Coordinator

Dr. Mayank Sharma

Coordinator

Dr. Abhishek Raj

Coordinator

Dr. Evangeline Christina

Coordinator

Dr. Nella Anvesh Kumar

Coordinator

Dr. E. Nirmala

Coordinator

Dr. Sumit Mittal

Coordinator

Dr. Biswajit Saha

Coordinator

Prof. Neeraj Sharma

Coordinator

Dr. N D Patel

Coordinator

Dr. Harshlata Vishwakarma

Coordinator
Dr. Neha Verma

Co-founder & CEO of Intelhealth, USA

Ms. Damini Agarwal

Chief Technology Officer at IBT, USA

Mr. Kunal Pal

Executive Director, Gupta-Klinsky India Institute (GKII), Johns Hopkins University

Hackathon Tracks & Themes

All Tracks
Software
Hardware
Software & Hardware
📞

Telemedicine for Equitable Access

Develop platforms that bring quality remote healthcare to underserved communities through virtual consultations.

Software
📈

Predictive Analytics for Preventive Care

Use AI and data science to identify early health risks and enable proactive medical intervention.

Software
🏥

Resource Optimization for Underserved Clinics

Create tools that help clinics efficiently manage limited medical resources and staffing.

Software
🌱

Community-Driven Health Empowerment

Build platforms that increase community awareness, education, and engagement in health practices.

Software
🔗

Interoperable Health Data Systems

Develop secure, standardized systems enabling seamless sharing of medical data across providers.

Software
🧠

AI for Chronic Disease Management

Use AI and IoT to monitor and manage chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

Software & Hardware
👶

Maternal and Child Health Solutions

Innovations to improve maternal safety, prenatal monitoring, and child health development.

Software & Hardware
💬

Mental Health Accessibility

Create digital tools making psychological support accessible and stigma-free.

Software
🧪

Mobile Diagnostics for Remote Areas

Build portable or smartphone-based diagnostic tools for rural and remote communities.

Hardware
🚨

Emergency Care Systems

Design solutions that enhance ambulance routing, triage, and emergency response coordination.

Software
💡

Affordable Healthcare Innovations

Low-cost technologies and devices that make essential healthcare more accessible.

Software & Hardware
🌍

Environmental Health Resilience

Tools that monitor environmental factors such as air quality, sanitation, and pollution risk.

Software
📚

Digital Health Literacy Tools

Create intuitive platforms to help users understand and manage their personal health data.

Software
💊

AI-Enhanced Pharmacy Access

Use AI to automate medication availability, prescription workflows, and pharmacy logistics.

Software
🧓

Elderly Care Innovations

Assistive technologies and smart monitoring to support elderly safety and independence.

Software & Hardware

Tentative Timeline

Registration Opens

Start of Registration

07 October 2025

Begin your journey! Register your team and submit initial project proposals.

Free Registration: Till 31st December 2025

Phase I

Phase I Review (Online)

5–12 January 2026

Present your initial concepts and prototypes to our expert panel.

Phase I

Phase I Result Declaration

From 8 January 2026 & Onwards

Paid Registration

For Shortlisted Participants Only

From 8 January 2026 Onwards

(Registration Fee: ₹ 2000 / $23 Per Team)

Pre-Event

Workshop

10 February 2026

Expert-led workshop featuring speakers from Johns Hopkins and industry leaders.

Grand Finale

Final Phase & Awards

10–12 February 2026

48-hour hackathon finale! Build, pitch, and compete for prizes up to ₹1,00,000.

🏆 Final Presentations 💡 Mentorship Sessions 🎉 Award Ceremony

Event Details

Event Dates
10–12 February 2026
Location
VIT Bhopal University, Madhya Pradesh, India
Registration Fee
₹2000 ($23) per team
Quick Registration
QR Code
Register Now
Prize Money
🥇
₹1,00,000
≈ $1,200 USD
🥈
₹50,000
≈ $600 USD
🥉
₹25,000
≈ $300 USD

Problem Statements

Theme Problem Statement Category
Telemedicine Develop a comprehensive telemedicine platform for remote healthcare delivery Software
Predictive Analytics Create AI models for disease outbreak prediction and prevention Software
Wearables Design IoT-enabled health monitoring devices for continuous patient tracking Hardware
AI Diagnostics Build computer vision systems for automated medical image analysis Software
Mental Health Develop accessible digital mental health support platforms Software
Rural Healthcare Create solutions for healthcare delivery in underserved rural areas Software & Hardware
Public Health Build data analytics platforms for population health management Software
Maternal Health Design technology solutions for improving maternal and child health outcomes Software & Hardware
Vaccine Management Develop smart systems for vaccine distribution and tracking Software
Medical Devices Create affordable diagnostic devices for resource-limited settings Hardware
Healthcare AI Build conversational AI agents for patient education and support Software
Assistive Tech Develop innovative assistive technologies for people with disabilities Software & Hardware
Wellness Create digital tools for promoting preventive health and wellness Software

About VIT Bhopal University

VIT Bhopal University is a premier institution committed to academic excellence, research innovation, and holistic student development. As part of the renowned VIT family of institutions, VIT Bhopal offers world-class infrastructure, cutting-edge laboratories, and a vibrant learning environment that fosters creativity and critical thinking.

VIT Bhopal combines research, global collaboration, and industry partnerships to accelerate real-world innovation.

The university's focus on interdisciplinary education and industry collaboration prepares students to become future leaders in technology, healthcare, and innovation. Through initiatives like Health Hack 2026, VIT Bhopal demonstrates its commitment to addressing global challenges and creating meaningful societal impact.

About Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University is a world-renowned research institution known for its pioneering work in medicine, public health, and biomedical engineering. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins has been at the forefront of medical innovation and healthcare advancement for over a century.

Johns Hopkins brings deep clinical and engineering expertise, enhancing the hackathon's mentorship and judging pool.

The collaboration between Johns Hopkins and VIT Bhopal for Health Hack 2026 represents a unique opportunity for students to benefit from the expertise of faculty and researchers from one of the world's leading healthcare institutions.

About Whiting School of Engineering

The Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University is recognized globally for its excellence in biomedical engineering, computer science, and interdisciplinary research. The school's commitment to innovation and its focus on solving real-world problems align perfectly with the goals of Health Hack 2026.

Whiting School powers interdisciplinary engineering approaches, especially in biomedical and data-driven solutions.

Through this collaboration, participants will have access to cutting-edge research insights and mentorship from faculty who are leading experts in healthcare technology and engineering innovation.

Participation Guidelines

For Students

Eligibility

Open to undergraduate and postgraduate students from all disciplines. Students from engineering, medicine, life sciences, design, and management are especially encouraged to participate.

Team Composition

Teams must consist of 3-6 members. Interdisciplinary teams are highly encouraged. Each team must have at least one member with technical expertise.

Preparation & Requirements
  • All team members must register individually
  • Bring your own laptops and development tools
  • Review problem statements before the event
  • Be prepared to present your solution

For Faculty & Mentors

Roles & Responsibilities

Faculty members can participate as mentors, judges, or workshop speakers. Mentors will guide teams throughout the hackathon, while judges will evaluate final presentations.

Judging Criteria
  • Innovation: Originality and creativity of the solution
  • Feasibility: Technical viability and implementation potential
  • Impact: Potential to improve healthcare access
  • Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Effective teamwork across disciplines

News & Updates

Contact Us

Website Coordinators

Dr. Hemraj S. Lamkuche
VIT Bhopal University
Om Sharma
+91 8127049448
VIT Bhopal University
Shailendra Singh Shaktawat
+91 7737709366
VIT Bhopal University

Student Coordinators

Himanshu Mathankar
+91 9303463739
Lakshay Khtour
+91 6377030052
Mihika Milind Agashe
+91 6304949459
Anindita Parhi
+91 9167399434

Location

VIT Bhopal University
Kothrikalan, Sehore
Madhya Pradesh 466114, India