This award enabled research that flourished into several branches. First, the team has continued to improve upon and refine the fluorescence-based detection system. The improvements have ranged from more precise detection to repeatability and including different types of detection. The main efforts have been on the infectious disease front. The teams has extensive work and collaboration on the detection of HPV (human papilloma virus) that causes cervical cancer in woman and head and neck cancer in men. These studies are ongoing with the technology resulting from this grant enabling detection and results in a single visit (under an hour). The system is being used in the detection of many other infectious diseases including tuberculosis, dengue, west nile virus, pox viruses with several other potential targets under investigation.

The efforts in wearable monitoring led to several publications, collaboration with industry, and projects through the Arizona WearTech Initiative. The PI has continued her relationship with WearTech and is part of another effort that resulted from the initial project in substance use disorder.

The two principle investigators formed an excellent working relationship and found the system they created to be a very compelling platform though this work. They co-founded a company, FlexBioTech in 2016. FlexBioTech holds exclusive rights to 3 of the filings that resulted from this grant. The PI has participated in several entrepreneurial training programs including the Nation Science Foundations iCorp and Equalize. The PI has several awards related to entrepreneurship resulting from this funding including a two-year Fulton Entrepreneurial Professor award, Flinn Foundation Bioscience Seed Grant award, and numerous other awards for academic entrepreneurs. They currently have a team of 5 employees and continue to pursue funding to commercialize the technology.

During the pandemic, the PI was asked to participate in an effort funded by the Arizona Department of Health Services to create rapid, high accuracy testing. Her participation in this effort was a direct result of the funding from the program and the fluorescence-based detection system. She was tasked with pivoting the reader from the existing form into a thermal control system that would enable amplification of the nucleic acids, specifically RNA, the genetic material indicating COVID-19. The results of the project are currently being prepared for submission to academic journals and the system is launching for testing at Arizona State University. The team is now turning its attention to other infectious disease targets that have been enabled through the thermal control.

This funding and the follow-on funding has provided incredible opportunities for the PI. Her research program grew exponentially because of this funding. The two investigators have been awarded grants that total over eleven million dollars all relating back to the technology that was initially engineered as a part of this grant. The funding has supported many underrepresented individuals who had the opportunity to work in a transdisciplinary environment in which researchers under the direction of each of the PIs moves freely between the two laboratories in their day-to-day research.

Finally, the PI gained the opportunity to engage in the Smart and Connected Health community though the program leadership. Dr. Nilsen provided numerous opportunities to participate in panels at conferences and review panels. She also invited the PI to attend events for aspiring PIs. She helped the PI with other efforts in the diversity and inclusion space as well. Further, Dr. Nilsen spent time helping the PI form ideas for other funding and research directions. This has resulted in tangible and lasting impact on her career and that of the post-docs, PhD, masters, and undergraduate students involved in the program over the years.

Last Modified: 03/07/2022
Modified by: Jennifer Blain Christen