Julielynn Wong

Julielynn Yee-Ching Wong is a physician, scientist and pilot, who is internationally recognized for using 3-D printing to provide healthcare services to remote environments, including outer space. Wong is the founder and CEO of two organizations: 3D4MD and Medical Makers.

Early life and education

Wong grew up in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Wong's father, two uncles, two cousins and brother-in-law are all physicians. Wong joined the Girl Guides of Canada, and then at the age of 13, joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. She obtained her glider-pilot's licence at the age of 16. In 2002, Wong attended a summer session at the International Space University in Pomona, California. There, she collaborated with 53 students on the HI-STAR (Health Improvements through Space Technologies and Resources) project, which aimed to combat malaria by using a combination of satellites, GPS and remote-sensing equipment to track malaria cases and factors influencing mosquito breeding.

Upon completing medical school in 2005, Wong received a Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship to complete a Master of Public Health degree at Harvard University. Beyond medicine, Wong is a licensed pilot and drone racer, and has flown as a microgravity researcher in NASA's parabolic flight program. CITPH's aim is to use innovation and technology to lead quality improvement, cost reduction and improve access in public health.

In 2011, Wong founded 3D4MD, whose mission is to provide 3-D-printable healthcare supplies to remote communities, and ensure that available open source 3-D printable medical supply templates are safe to use. To do so, Wong designed an ultra-portable solar-powered 3-D printer which can produce medical supplies on-site. ' In addition, 3D4MD is building a digital library of 3D printable templates to make low-cost medical supplies be available on demand. Wong was then invited to be the Health and Safety Officer for a two-week long mission simulation at the remote Mars Desert Research Station in Utah, U.S., where she tested her theory of 3-D printing medical supplies in space. This simulated mission was a part of the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) three-story module, which NASA uses to study the effects of space flight on the humans. In March 2018, a Medical Make-A-Thon was held in Kingston, Ontario, where participants attended a weekend course to create 3D printing codes and develop solutions to current problems faced by patients and health-care providers. Wong uses her clinical and scientific expertise to comment on relevant issues for media outlets, including CTV News, Toronto Star and CNN. She has also served as a medical journalist for ABC News, and has contributed to Forbes and the Huffington Post''.

Wong appeared as herself (a public health physician) on Space's Deepest Secrets (a TV series documentary), on the episode titled 'Inside the New Space Race', which aired on 5 September 2017. Canadian Medical Association's Joule Innovation Grant (2016) Aerospace Medical Association's Life Sciences Biomedical and Engineering Branch Research and Development Innovation Award (2016) United Nations Women's Entrepreneurship Day Distinguished Fellow

Patents

Multi-Functional Dental Tool.

Selected academic publications

Goehlich RA, Blanksby C, Goh GM, Hatano Y, Pečnike B and Wong JY. "Space spin-offs: Making them known, improving their use." Space Policy. 21:4, 307–312. 2005. Wong, JY. "Ultra-Portable Solar-Powered 3D Printers for Onsite Manufacturing of Medical Resources." Aerospace Medical and Human Performance. 86(9):830-4. 2015. Wong, JY. "On-Site 3D Printing of Functional Custom Mallet Splints for Mars Analogue Crewmembers." Aerospace Medical and Human Performance. 86(10):911-4. 2015. Wong, JY. "3D Printing Applications for Space Missions." Aerospace Medical and Human Performance. 87(6):580-582. 2016. Wong JY and Pfahnl AC. "3D Printed Surgical Instruments Evaluated by a Simulated Crew of a Mars Mission." Aerospace Medical and Human Performance. 87(9):806-10. 2016.