Afghan student wins gold at Silicon Valley invention festival
Freydoun Farzad, a doctoral student in artificial intelligence, has won a gold medal at the Silicon Valley International Invention Festival for designing a digital platform to improve wound reconstruction and reduce scarring. The project was recognised on 15 August 2026 in Santa Clara.
The system combines artificial intelligence and digital twin technology to simulate the wound-healing process in a digital environment. The aim is to help doctors make treatment decisions based on more accurate data and choose methods that are said to reduce the likelihood of scars remaining.
Farzad’s project, titled “AI-Driven Digital Twin Platform for Scar-Free Precision Wound Regeneration,” is based on the digital modelling of complex biological processes. In this method, a virtual model of wound behaviour is created so that the regeneration process can be observed and examined under different conditions.
Farzad said he does not see the achievement only as a technical success, but as an effort to highlight the scientific potential of young Afghans. He stressed that Afghan youth can contribute to global competitions to solve complex scientific problems.
The medal was won despite the fact that he and members of his team were unable to attend the festival in person because of visa restrictions and political conditions, and presented the project online. According to him, this makes the team’s success in an international competition even more notable.
This is Farzad’s second international gold medal. He previously won gold at the ArshMedis International Invention Festival in Russia.
The Silicon Valley International Invention Festival is considered one of the best-known events in the fields of innovation and technology and is held in Santa Clara, one of the major technology cities in California, US. Digital twin technology has also seen widespread use in recent years in industrial and health sectors for precise simulation and analysis of processes.
