The National Science Foundation (NSF) https://www.nsf.gov has invested nearly $80 million in four new Engineering Research Centers (ERC) to create novel technology platforms to address national challenges not only in important health areas but also for energy sustainability.
The NSF ERC for “Precise Advanced Technologies and Health Systems for Underserved Populations” (PATHS-UP) will start operating October 1, 2017. The ERC will be led by Gerard Cote at Texas A&M University in partnership with the University of California at Los Angeles, Rice University, and Florida International University
The NSF ERC was established to develop cost-effective technologies and systems to improve healthcare access for underserved populations by developing revolutionary cost-effective technologies and systems at the Point-of-Care (POC).
The four barriers to using POC devices is the need for POC devices to be field deployable, the devices must be accurate, have low complexity, and be affordable. The goals for PATHS-UP are to engineer transformative robust and affordable technologies to improve healthcare access, improve the quality of service, reduce healthcare costs, and recruit and educate a diverse group of scientists and engineers who will lead in developing the technology to use in underserved communities.
PATHS-UP plans to develop two systems. One system is going to monitor key biomarkers for chronic disease to be called a Lab-in-your-Palm (LiyP) that will use novel amplification biochips in combination with handheld computational imaging and modular spectroscopic instruments.
The other system called Lab-on-a-Wrist (LoaW) will be enabled by a bar code like biochemical marker implant along with a novel wrist-worn spectral imager to visualize the implant through tissue. Sensors will be used to monitor biophysical markers such as blood pressure and heart rate. The system will also develop algorithms to monitor behavior such as diet and medication intake to help predict long term complications.
In order to develop and integrate these systems into communities requires a multidisciplinary team of engineers, medical doctors, public health experts, industry professionals, and community health leaders. The team is going to use community engagement to help develop technologies that will seamlessly integrate into the lives of the people in these communities.
Another NSF ERCs called the “Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies” (CMaT) will develop tools and technologies to produce low-cost high quality living therapeutic cells. In addition, the NSF Nanosystems ERC for Cellular Metamaterials or referred to as (Cell-MET) will be researching ways to transform cardiovascular care.
Go to https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=EEC for more information on NSF’s Engineering Research Centers.