Aakshi Agarwal is designing drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis, but she’s not a doctor or research associate at a major university, she’s in middle school. 

The 14-year-old Agarwal’s project is one of 30, chosen as a Broadcom Math, Applied Science, Technology, and Engineering for Rising Stars (MASTERS) finalist.

These science fair projects were chosen from thousands of nominees across the country, all in the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade.

On Sept. 27, the kids are headed to Washington D.C. to show off their work. The winner, announced on Oct. 1, receives $ 25,000 in prize money.

Eitan Acks created the “Tongue Untwister” to treat speech impediments.

Etian Acks, 14, designed a device to strengthen speech muscles to treat his younger brother’s speech impediment. Acks’ device is similar to a modified tongue depressor, but it is linked to a joystick to collect digital data on the patient’s progress.

Most existing speech improvement methods do not have a way to monitor patient progress, and Acks’ device is a big step forward. Acks actually tested his device on his brother, whose speech impediment, dyspaxia, makes it difficult to pronounce words correctly. After only three days he showed steady improvement.

Acks’ future career interest is the following: nanotechnology.

Aakshi Agarwal designed potential drugs that could treat rheumatoid arthritis.

When Aakshi Agarwal, 14, volunteered in a nursing home she developed relationships with many people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. Her experience inspired her research into TNF-alpha: the molecule that contributes to the painful inflammation of the disease.

Using a computer program, Agarwal designed 200 drugs that could potentially treat this inflammation by inhibiting the enzyme TACE that produces TNF-alpha. Agarwal hopes to actually create and test her new drugs once she is older.

Agarwal’s future career interest is the following: neuroanatomy.

Sidhika Balachandar tested the effectiveness of soundproofing materials.

Sidhika Balachandar, 13, designed a set of experiments to determine the best material for soundproofing her mother’s home office. Balachandar put a speaker in a cardboard box, wrapped in various materials and measured the volume outside of the box with a sound meter.

She wanted to see if a decorative material could work as well as professional-grade soundproofing material, so her mother’s office could be soundproof, but still look nice. She found that soundproofing roof tile worked best, but was closely followed by a double layer of tapestry.

Balachandar’s future career interest is the following: engineering.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider