09/29/2026
🥳 Our August Foldscoper of the Month, Avani Kaur, is a Richmond Scholar at the University of Richmond studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Health Studies on the pre-medical track.
🔬 Avani’s fascination with microscopy began in 6th grade during the COVID-19 pandemic. Curious about the unseen biological processes behind life and disease, she received her first microscope from her parents and began exploring histological slides, cells, and tissues.
🧬 Her research journey began in 9th grade with a project on gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), followed by research on oxidative stress, Alzheimer’s disease, and, most recently, cancer.
✨ Avani first used a Foldscope during a Fast and Curious training session, where she was impressed by how such a simple, portable tool could make microscopy more accessible. The experience inspired her to incorporate Foldscope into Osmosis STEM, an initiative she co-founded to bring hands-on science experiences to young learners.
🧑🔬 Today, Avani uses Foldscopes in her Cellular Magic: Human Systems Under the Microscope series, where students learn about human body systems before observing real tissue and cell samples themselves. Through her work, she hopes to bridge the gap between learning science in a textbook and experiencing it firsthand.
📸 Follow Avani's work!
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