Congratulations to Hollie Adejumo from the Blaney Lab for winning the UNCF-Merck Undergraduate Science Research Scholarship Award. Hollie was one of just 15 students from across the country to receive this prestigious award, which provides up to $30,000 in academic support, as well as an internship at a Merck Facility or other research institution.

Congratulations to Dr. Upal Ghosh, who has been named as an Editor for the SETAC journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. He will be one of several editors of the journal and will handle papers in the fields of environmental remediation and pollutant bioavailability. Dr. Ghosh is looking forward to this role, especially as SETAC is seeking to increase the engagement of engineers.

Congratulations to CBEE Professor Govind Rao and the Center for Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST) team, who won $50,000 at the National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation (NCC-PDI), held February 12th at University of Maryland, College Park.

CAST presented their design for a low-cost respiration monitor for premature newborns. This innovative device, which monitors oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in preemies’ blood, is much safer than current techniques because it is completely non-invasive, removing risks associated with conventional methods that either cause burns or require so many pinpricks the tiny babies need blood transfusions. Clinical trials have shown that the device measures carbon dioxide and oxygen levels with 90 percent accuracy compared to traditional tests.

The lab plans to use the new funds to automate and miniaturize the monitor for interested markets. Dr. Rao has established relationships with potential collaborators in Ethiopia, the Philippines, India, Mexico, and Nepal, and is partnered with General Electric, who will eventually manufacture the device.

Full story here: http://my.umbc.edu/news/50147