Mahidol University International College (MUIC) hosted the Pitching Day and Awarding Ceremony for the MUIC Health Innovation Design Challenge 2026 on July 31, 2026, at the Co-Create Rooms in MUIC Building 1. Centered on the theme "Breastfeeding Service Re-imagined," the event showcased student-led solutions designed to improve maternal care and lactation support.
Team Lactation Wellness Center earned 1st Place and the grand prize of 30,000 Baht for their winning design. Team Rhea secured 1st Runner-up along with a 20,000 Baht prize, while Team CAT took 2nd Runner-up, taking home 10,000 Baht. Three other student teams—MamaBloom, The Bridge, and Milvidia—also presented final concepts aimed at modernizing healthcare experiences for new mothers.
This year's challenge targeted critical postpartum care at Siriraj Hospital, aiming to strengthen mothers' confidence and improve overall breastfeeding outcomes. By emphasizing human-centered design, the initiative sought to develop service models that are more accessible, effective, and responsive to the needs of families.
The competition brought together 38 students from institutions across the globe, including participants from the MUIC Summer Program, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Kunming Medical University Haiyuan College, Cornell University, the University of Toronto, and the visiting Chinese Student Program.
Supporting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3: Good Health and Well-being, the project represented an interdisciplinary collaboration between MUIC and the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital. Key participating partners from Siriraj included:
Department of Obstetric and Gynecological Nursing
Department of Pediatric Nursing
Division of Neonatology (Department of Pediatrics)
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Division of Medical Biodesign (Department of Parasitology)
On the other hand, faculty members from MUIC's Biological Sciences and Communication Design programs also provided ongoing academic mentorship, helping students refine their designs to address real-world medical challenges.
After Prof. Chulathida Chomchai, M.D., Dean of MUIC, gave the opening remarks, the students—equally distributed among the six diverse teams—presented their final concepts before a distinguished panel of judges spanning medical, academic, and creative disciplines:
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Buranee Yangthara, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital
Asst. Prof. Pitiporn Siripattanapipong, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital
Asst. Prof. Dr. Malinvisa Sakdiyakorn, Associate Dean for Human Resources, MUIC
Asst. Prof. Dr. Suwadee Talawanich, Program Director for Tourism and Hospitality Management, MUIC
Dr. Ploy Nikadanont, Program Director for Communication Design, MUIC
The event concluded with the Awarding Ceremony celebrating the participants' efforts to bridge healthcare delivery and design thinking. The Project Development Unit of MUIC under Ms. Worada Apirat organized this year’s iteration of the Health Innovation Design Challenge, with the Office of Student Affairs under Ms. Wimonsiri Hemtanon, Associate Dean for Student Affairs, collaborating in staging the Pitching Day and Awarding Ceremony.
