ULM computer science students win Nexus Louisiana’s DevDays HealthTech Challenge

Published December 12, 2025

A group of four women smile while holding a large check.

CAPTION: Champions of the DevDays HealthTech Challenge, Yukta Karki, SianRose Vincent, and Nirjara KC, pictured with their faculty advisor, Prasanthi Sreekumari, awarded $5,000 prize. 

MONROE, La. – The ULM Department of Computer Science is proud to announce that a student team has won the DevDays HealthTech Challenge, hosted by Nexus Louisiana in partnership with Ochsner Health. Kneva, the winning team composed of computer science students Yukta Karki, SianRose Vincent, and Nirjara KC, was awarded a $5,000 prize at the competition in Baton Rouge on November 14.  

The DevDaysChallenge attracted 160 students from 11 Louisiana universities who submitted 45 innovative solutions, addressing issues ranging from athlete safety to carbon management.  

Kneva is an innovative health technology platform focused on addressing a long-overlooked crisis in sports medicine: female athletes face up to eight times greater risk of experiencing a catastrophic ACL injury. This groundbreaking project aims to end the era of compromise in women’s sports by delivering technology and insights that support safer performance and long-term athletic health.  

The system unifies two critical data points, hormonal fluctuations and biomechanical movement, to predict elevated injury risk and deliver real-time, micro-adjusted training feedback. A wearable knee sensor monitors movement patterns, while the platform maps an athlete’s menstrual cycle to identify when they are more susceptible to injury, creating a personalized, adaptive approach to performance and injury prevention. 

Team Kneva shared that the competition affirmed their mission to build injury-prevention tools that truly reflect the physiology and experiences of female athletes—not systems retrofitted from male data.   

“I was raised in a world shaped by strong women, and Kneva lets me pour that energy into a platform that finally acknowledges and supports female athletes,” said KC. “Leading the research and development for our ACL prevention prototype proved that innovation is iterative, and this win fuels our next chapter. We’re excited to take on the engineering challenges needed to move from concept to a production-ready solution.” 

The six-week competition brought together student teams from across the state to confront a real and pressing sports medicine issue. “DevDays is about putting our state’s brightest minds on our state's hardest problems,” said Tony Zanders, President and CEO of Nexus Louisiana. “The quality of ideas we saw reflects the strength of the talent emerging from Louisiana’s universities and the value of connecting that talent to real industry needs.” 

As the presenting partner, Ochsner Health emphasized the importance of strengthening pathways between students and industry. “DevDays shows what happens when we give young people real problems to solve and the room to innovate boldly. These students aren’t just imagining the future of sports medicine — they’re building it. I’m proud that Ochsner is helping open doors, strengthen pathways, and champion the next generation of Louisiana talent,” said Christy Reeves, Vice President, Network Development and Government Relations at Ochsner Health. 

“We are extremely proud of all the students who participated in the competition. Their dedication, passion, and perseverance showcase the strength and spirit of our department,” said Dr. Prasanthi Sreekumari, Program Chair of the ULM Computer Science Department and Associate Professor of Computer Science.  

“Kneva’s victory is a powerful validation of their mission and the impact their work can have on the future of sports medicine,” added Sreekumari. 

“The team would like to thank Dr. Sreekumari for her guidance throughout the development of Kneva. We also extend our thanks to Dr. Paul Wiedemeier and Dr. Paul Rojas for providing the resources and support we needed to bring this project to life,” said KC.  

Team Kneva’s win marks the second victory for a ULM Computer Science team at DevDays this year. Carbon Horizon won the Nexus DevDays ClimateTech Challenge in October 2025. Read more about their win at https://www.ulm.edu/news/2025/comp_science_devdays_111125.html 

About Nexus Louisiana DevDays 

Nexus Louisiana’s mission is to accelerate the growth of high-potential technology-enabled companies by providing them with coaching, capital, and connections. Their programs leverage regional collaboration to foster mentorship, investment, and opportunity for local entrepreneurs to grow their ideas and transform the technology industry in Louisiana. 

DevDays are one-of-a-kind events that fuse technology, competition, and Louisiana’s legendary football pride. Over six weeks, participants tackle real-world challenges from leading industries and bring their solutions to life in an impactful, one-day demo event in Baton Rouge. 

Nexus Louisiana has confirmed that DevDays will return next year with new challenges and expanded collaboration opportunities.  

For more information, please visit https://nexusla.org/devdays.