U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $611,617 in federal funding for Cornell University. This funding was allocated through the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), which falls under the purview of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This federal investment will allow Cornell researchers to further develop their “FeverPhone” technology. Schumer and Gillibrand explained that this ground-breaking healthcare innovation will couple advances in mobile phone technology and healthcare in order to more easily, quickly, and effectively identify and diagnose serious illnesses and diseases, such as Zika Virus, Dengue Fever, Malaria, and Typhoid. According to the university, real-time, rapid and accurate diagnoses using mobile technology could help develop more personalized diagnoses and more effective treatments for these dangerous and even life-threatening illnesses.
“As we face an alarming rise in dangerous illnesses like Zika, both in the U.S. and around the world, it is crucial that our medical professionals have the best tools at their disposal to track, treat and prevent disease. These cutting-edge scientists at Cornell University are on the cusp of transforming our medical industry by developing the mobile technology that can provide healthcare workers the most up-to-date diagnosis information at their fingertips,” said Senator Schumer. “This federal investment will support Cornell University as a leader in the field of diagnosing, treating and preventing these life-threatening illnesses through innovation and add to the illustrious reputation of the university and its research throughout the nation.”
“These funds are a critical investment that would help advance the scope of medical analysis — identifying and diagnosing the causes of serious illnesses and diseases,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This collaboration in medical research would help increase response time and provide personalized treatment options for patients. Cornell University is at the forefront of medical research and development, and its cutting edge programs help expand healthcare access to families in need of health services.”
“We’re at a really important time in the convergence of mobile and healthcare technologies,” said Co-Project Leader David Erickson. “It’s this type of research funding that can enable the multidisciplinary collaborations between engineers and experts in infectious disease that can really move things forward and have long term impacts on human health.”
“Fever causing infections such as Dengue virus and Malaria, and now Zika virus are a major cause of illness and death around the world,” said Saurabh Mehta, the project’s other co-leader. “The FeverPhone will help diagnose common causes of fever from a drop of blood in a few minutes to enable appropriate management and treatment.”
NIBIB conducts and supports research to find new biomedical imaging and bioengineering techniques and devices which aid in the detection, treatment, and prevention of disease. The NIH includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency responsible for conducting medical research, and for investigating the causes and treatments of diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit http://www.nih.gov.
###