U of Texas nets $950,000 grant to develop blood test for cancer

The National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Cancer Institute has awarded John Zhang, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering in the Cockrell School of Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, nearly $1 million for his research on early detection of cancer.

Zhang is working to improve early detection of cancer through a simple blood test. His research combines disposable microchips with a microscope that can precisely measure tumor markers.

The $950,000 award will fund Zhang's research initiatives over the next three years.

Zhang's other early cancer detection research includes a handheld microscope enabled by laser microchip technology that could be used in low-infrastructure environments. The handheld microscope technology has been licensed to an early stage medical devices company to develop a minimally invasive surgical endoscope with real-time micro-imaging for breast and skin cancer, the university reported.

Around the web

To fully leverage today's radiology IT systems, standardization is a necessity. Steve Rankin, chief strategy officer for Enlitic, explains how artificial intelligence can help.

RBMA President Peter Moffatt discusses declining reimbursement rates, recruiting challenges and the role of artificial intelligence in transforming the industry.

Deepak Bhatt, MD, director of the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital and principal investigator of the TRANSFORM trial, explains an emerging technique for cardiac screening: combining coronary CT angiography with artificial intelligence for plaque analysis to create an approach similar to mammography.