UW Bioengineering Professor Dr. Paul Yager will present a talk at TEDxRainier 2014 on November 22nd. Event details on the TEDxRainier website.
Dr. Yager, who served as UW BioE chair from 2007 to 2013, focuses on development of microfluidic devices and systems for analysis of biological fluids for use in biomedical diagnostics. The primary goal of his work is to expand access to healthcare by creating low-cost point-of-care diagnostic devices that can easily be used in low-resource settings.
From 2005 to 2010 a research team led by Dr. Yager received support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a low-cost point-of-care system for pathogen identification.
Currently, Dr. Yager leads NIH and DARPA-funded projects to develop ultra-low-cost, instrument-free diagnostic technologies based on what the lab calls two-dimensional paper networks (2DPNs). Their goal is to combine these inexpensive, disposable tests with cell phones for analysis and rapid connectivity with the healthcare system.