Rebecca Richards-Kortum facts for kids

Rebecca Richards-Kortum (born April 14, 1964) is an American bioengineer. She is a special professor at Rice University. She works in two departments: bioengineering and electrical and computer engineering.

She leads the Rice 360°: Institute for Global Health. She also started a program called Beyond Traditional Borders. Dr. Richards-Kortum is known for creating new ways to help people get better healthcare. She received the Pierre Galletti Award, which is a very high honor for her work.

Early Life and Education

Rebecca Richards-Kortum grew up in Grand Island, Nebraska. She loved math and science from a young age. After high school, she went to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

At first, she thought about becoming a high school teacher. This was because there weren't many women scientists to look up to. But after doing research in college, she decided to get a PhD. She earned her master's degree in physics in 1987. Then, she got her doctorate in medical physics in 1990. Both degrees were from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Career and Amazing Discoveries

Dr. Richards-Kortum started her teaching career at The University of Texas at Austin. She taught in the electrical and computer engineering department. Later, she joined Rice University as a bioengineering professor.

At Rice, she became a University Professor. This means she can teach in any department. Her main goal is to create new technologies. These technologies help people who don't have easy access to healthcare.

Helping People with Cancer

Many people don't get screened for cancer early enough. Dr. Richards-Kortum developed a special low-cost camera. This camera can find unhealthy tissues without needing a biopsy. A biopsy is when doctors take a small piece of tissue to test.

This camera helps detect oral cancer and cervical cancer. It also reduces the need for biopsies for many patients. Her lab uses tiny technology and special imaging. This helps them create small, cheap systems. These systems can check how patients are responding to treatment. They can also see the edges of tumors.

Innovations for Newborns

In 2005, Dr. Richards-Kortum saw that poor areas lacked equipment for premature babies. Premature babies are born too early. With another professor at Rice, she started the Rice 360° Institute for Global Health.

They developed low-power, low-cost devices. This institute has created many helpful tools:

• Pumani CPAP system: Helps newborns with breathing problems.
• BiliSpec: A tool to check for jaundice in babies. Jaundice makes babies' skin look yellow.
• DoseRight: Helps give the correct amount of liquid medicine to children.

Learning Beyond Borders

Dr. Richards-Kortum also co-founded Beyond Traditional Borders. This program helps college students turn classroom ideas into real solutions. Students work on projects to solve global health problems.

For example, students have created special LED lights. These lights help treat jaundice in babies. They have also made machines that help babies breathe.

Awards and Recognition

Rebecca Richards-Kortum has received many important awards for her work.

• In 2018, she became a US Science Envoy for Health Security. This means she helps the US government share science with other countries. She focuses on helping African countries with engineering research.
• She was a finalist for a MacArthur Foundation grant in 2017. Her team received millions of dollars. This money helps them develop technology to prevent newborn deaths in Africa. They hope to prevent over 85 percent of these deaths.
• In 2016, she received a MacArthur Fellowship. This is often called a "genius grant."
• She was chosen to be part of the National Academy of Engineering in 2008. In 2015, she joined the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. These are very high honors for scientists.
• In 2016, she received the Pierre Galletti Award. This is the top award from the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). She got it for her work in global healthcare and bioengineering.
• In 2014, she won the Michael S. Feld Biophotonics Award. This award recognized her work in using light to diagnose diseases. It also honored her efforts to bring low-cost health tools to developing countries.
• In 2008, she became a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. She received a grant for a global health program at Rice. This program won awards from Science magazine and Lemelson-MIT.
• She was also named one of Fortune magazine's "50 World's Greatest Leaders."