Sarah Park has known about the impact of music on the brain since a young age. The 13-year-old, who has been playing the violin since she was 4, says she noticed its positive effect on those around her, especially her grandmother, who suffered from mental illness.

Now, the Jacksonville, Florida, middle-schooler hopes to use music therapy (疗法) to help others struggling with mental illness. Her invention, Spark Care + , earned her the title of "America's Top Young Scientis" at the 3M Young Scientist Challenge on October 19, 2021.

Spark Care+ requires participants to respond to a series of questions based on the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Scale, designed to assess the person's mental state. The device's inbuilt sensors record vital mental health indicators? such as heart rate and blood pressure. Spark Care+'s Al component analyzes the information and recommends the appropriate music to help lift the participants' spirits. It also monitors its impact on the listeners.

Sarah Park hopes to make her invention accessible to all. The ninth-grader hopes to turn it into a wristband with inbuilt sensors, a heart-rate monitor, and Bluetooth. She also wants to build an app to make Spark Care+ accessible to everyone. "I hope to be able to distribute it around the world to people of all ages," Park says.

In addition to being an inventor, Park is also a musical prodigy who has won several violin competitions, including the Florida state championship. She also plays the piano and is a math champion. The teen hopes to be an innovator and researcher in the medical field using technology and robotics. Her advice to other young scientists? "Dream big, ask questions, and anything is possible."