Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and - Center for ...

Rebecca Richards-Kortum
Rebekah Drezek
Sibani Lisa Biswal
16
World Health
Professor Richards-Kortum focuses on
translating research that integrates advances
in nanotechnology and molecular
imaging with microfabrication technologies
to develop optical imaging systems
that are inexpensive and provide point-ofcare
diagnosis. When used with contrast
agents, these rugged and portable optical
imaging systems detect molecular signatures
of precancer, assess tumor margins
and monitor a patient’s response to therapy.
Over the past few years, Richards-
Kortum and collaborators have translated
these technologies from North America to
both low- and medium-resource developing
countries (Botswana, India, Taiwan,
Mexico and Brazil).
Professor Rebekah Drezek conducts basic,
applied and translational research at
the interface of photonics, medicine and
nanotechnology toward the development of
cost-effective, optically based strategies for
screening, diagnosis and monitoring of cancer
with particular emphasis on novel technologies
to improve women’s health care.
Recently Drezek was awarded a grant to
combine the advantages of immunotherapy
and light-activated photothermal therapy in
the detection and treatment of cancer.
Assistant Professor Sibani Lisa Biswal is
working with MD Anderson Cancer Center
researchers to improve disease screening
in patients through a new technology of
programmable nanodroplet chemistry. This
sensor technology detects the way proteins
are folded to assess disease states.
Using nanotechnology and microfluidics,
this sensor offers a cost-effective way to
test for a variety of variables quickly and
efficiently.