[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 188 (Thursday, November 29, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H9703]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         RECOGNIZING ERIN SMITH

  (Mr. YODER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a young woman in 
my district for creating a remarkable application to help detect 
Parkinson's disease.
  Erin Smith, a Shawnee Mission West High School graduate, created 
FacePrint, a facial expression recognition system that uses a web 
camera or smartphone to detect facial masking, a common Parkinson's 
symptom caused by stiff facial muscles. FacePrint will analyze facial 
movements and compare them to a database of people with and without 
Parkinson's.
  Erin's app will help lead to early detection of Parkinson's. Early 
diagnosis means early treatment, and appropriately targeted therapies 
can be initiated before further tissue damage is done.
  This creation earned Erin a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, 
making her the youngest person to make this list in a decade.
  We are extremely proud to have Erin in the Third District of Kansas. 
She is a testament to our local schools and a shining example of the 
hardworking and innovative Kansas spirit. I wish the best for Erin as 
she continues this important work to combat Parkinson's disease.

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