The hackathon unites researchers, students, clinicians, and entrepreneurs to develop real-world solutions that address major healthcare challenges. This year’s event generated 75 new ideas, with a grand finale during the Nordic Life Science Days (NLS Days) in Gothenburg on 13 October 2025.
Representing both Sweden and the United States, eNose Diagnostics impressed the jury with their novel, non-invasive method for early cancer detection. Their concept combines an electronic nose, a device capable of identifying odor patterns, with machine learning algorithms to detect cancer through the unique chemical “fingerprints” found in blood samples.
“We believe we won because we combined innovation with purpose,” says Donatella Puglisi, from Linköping University. “Our goal is to make early cancer detection faster, more accessible, and less invasive.”
Team sprit
The Swedish part of the team, Jens Eriksson, Ivan Shtepliuk, and Donatella Puglisi from Linköping University, collaborated closely with colleagues from the University of South Florida to develop the technology and the Swedish company VOC Diagnostics to develop the winning project idea. Their partnership began in 2023 under the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Convergence Accelerator Program, part of a Sweden–USA research initiative focused on transformative health innovations.
“What excites us most is the spirit of collaboration,” added Donatella Puglisi. “We come from different backgrounds and continents, but we share the same mission — to improve lives through innovation in healthcare.”
Winning the Sahlgrenska Global Health Hackathon is an important step for the team. The group now plans to continue refining their diagnostic platform and building partnerships to bring this technology closer to clinical use.
The team consists of Jens Eriksson, Ivan Shtepliuk, Donatella Puglisi – Linköping University and (Jens) VOC Diagnostics AB, Sweden
Arash Takshi, Ehsan Sheybani, Thomas Kalach, Eeda Rijal, Nida Khattak – University of South Florida, USA
