Project MESA
We aim to reduce cervical cancer mortality by increasing accessibility to examinations for women in low resource communities.
Cervical cancer is a treatable, preventable disease, yet approximately 28,000 cervical cancer deaths occur amongst women in Latin America each year. The disparity is driven by limited access to safe, high-quality, and efficient screening exams, compounded by the stigma surrounding women’s health. Project MESA’s mission is to reduce cervical cancer mortality rates for women in low income, rural regions by increasing screening accessibility through a portable, gynecological exam table.
Our Mission
Background
Our student-run project team has been developing a portable gynecological examination table since 2010, when the team conducted its first needs assessment in Nicaragua focused on maternal health and education. Since then, the project has grown into a multidisciplinary effort to improve access to women’s healthcare in rural and underserved communities. Over the years, we have developed and refined multiple iterations of our portal examination table in response to feedback from our global partners, advisors, and mentors.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Our solution is an affordable, portable, and durable gynecological exam table intended to be used in low-resource nations with minimal health coverage. Specifically, we aim for our table to have a cost of below $1500, be less than 25 pounds for easy transportability, and have the ability to hold up to 330 pounds for over 11,000 exams. Over the past 12 years, our table has undergone significant development. Our team is now completing manufacturing and dynamic testing for Eta 2.0, which includes a lower-cost material, redesigned stirrups for improved exam efficiency and patient comfort, and a new assembly method to enhance stability.
Table
Finished implementing CAD corrections for the ETA 2.0 table version
Completed full assembly drawings and submitted STEP files to our manufacturer for prototype production
Worked with our industry mentor to finalize welding changes and powder coat use.
Analyzed prototype development and compiled documentation concerning necessary design changes
Established a partnership and developed a dynamic testing protocol with Intertek to ensure the prototype is structurally sound
Explored soft component options for full-table assembly: vinyl, foam, velcro
Identified and explored five new needs that aligns with MESA’s mission by meeting with community partners, street medicine clinics, and gynecologists.
Project Updates
Business
Received IRB approval for our observational survey study
Planned travel to Peru with community partner FNE International
Earned $12,000 in travel funding
Created informational women’s health pamphlet in Spanish for distribution in Peru
Presented at MSU HEAL Sexual Health Conference and were finalists in the Rice360 Global Health Technologies Design Competition
Our Community Partners
FNE International, Peru
PINCC, Kenya
SASS, Peru
USC Street Medicine, Los Angeles, California
Travel Updates
In May 2026, our team traveled to Zana, Peru, in partnership with FNE International to explore opportunities for further integration of our portable gynecological examination table in rural Peruvian communities. During the trip, we held community focus groups, conducted needs assessments, and shared women’s health resources through distribution of our informational pamphlet. After receiving IRB approval for our observational survey study, we also began collecting survey data from both patients and physicians to better understand the impact of our table in such communities. Lastly, we met with a Peruvian manufacturer and are now working toward local production of our table to reduce manufacturing and transportation costs.
Meet the Leads
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Emma Arnhols
Team Co-Lead, Biomedical Engineering 2027
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Amy Li
Team Co-Lead, Neuroscience 2027
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Diya Shriyan
Business Lead, Neuroscience 2027
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Varshini Kashyap
Business Lead, Biochemistry 2027
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Hadil El-Geneidy
Table Lead, Biomedical Engineering 2028
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Divya Narne
Table Lead, Biomedical Engineering 2028
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Asanti Tarekegn
MDP Lead, Biochemistry 2028
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Natalie Hantz
MDP Lead, Biomedical Engineering 2028
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Addison McLane
Marketing Lead, MCDB 2029
Our Advisors
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kenneth Alfano
Biomedical engineer with expertise in electromechanical systems for biochemical analysis, and regularly teaches both engineering design and technical communication in the College of Engineering.
Business MDP Mentor: Randy Schwemmin
Operations and product development professional with over 20 years’ experience in the aerospace, consumer electronics, medical device, and biopharmaceutical industries.
Table MDP Mentor: Cliff Lambarth
Has been designing medical devices at Stryker for over 15 years. His responsibilities include EMS division transport market expert, providing recommended Pipeline and Product Architecture, prioritizing EMS future projects and engaging in industry standard committees and functions.
Contact Us!
Email: project.mesa@umich.eduTable Team’s email: projectmesatable@umich.edu
Instagram: @umichprojectmesa
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mheal-project-mesa
We have a squarespace on our website that allows interested organizations to contact us!
Our Project Teams
Thank you to our sponsors!
