A Johns Hopkins medical student was chosen as one of 12 finalists to compete for a sizeable cash award and the prestige of being named the nation’s best collegiate inventor.

Curtis Chong of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine was recognized for identifying itraconazole — an antifungal drug typically used to treat fungal infections — as an effective antiangiogenic agent for treating cancer and diabetic retinopathy. His academic advisor is Jun Liu, Ph.D., of the Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences.

The 2008 finalist of Collegiate Inventors Competition, announced Oct. 22 by the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation, includes undergraduate and graduate students from across the country whose inventions show practical applications to meet pressing needs in our society.

The final round of judging will take place Nov. 19 at the Kauffman Foundation at their headquarters in Kansas City. Prizes of $15,000 each will be awarded to the top undergraduate and graduate finalists, and the grand prize winner will receive $25,000. The academic advisors for each winning team will receive a cash prize as well.

The process for this year’s competition began when the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation solicited entries from over 2,000 campuses to identify top collegiate inventors. Each entry was judged on the originality of the idea, process, or technology, as well as its potential value and usefulness to society.