Seminal biophotonics device developer Ozcan is named IEEE distinguished lecturer

April 27, 2016

Aydogan Ozcan, who has significantly contributed to biophotonics, has been named a 2016 distinguished lecturer by the IEEE.

Aydogan Ozcan, Chancellor's Professor of Electrical Engineering and Bioengineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science (Los Angeles, CA), has been named a 2016 distinguished lecturer by the IEEE Photonics Society. This awards program honors excellent speakers who have made significant contributions to the field of lasers and electro-optics and who have enhanced Photonics Society programs. Distinguished lecturers give a minimum of six lectures at Photonics Society chapters during the year of the award.

Ozcan, who is also associate director of the California NanoSystems Institute, joined the UCLA faculty in 2007. His lab has developed computational microscopy platforms that can image single nanoparticles and viruses and detect cancer and other abnormalities at the single-cell level. Ozcan’s lab also has developed lightweight, 3D-printed smartphone attachments that can diagnose diseases including malaria and HIV; detect mercury and pathogens in water samples; and find allergens in prepared food.

These devices are portable and cost-effective, making them practical for use in rural and resource-poor areas. Some of these inventions have been commercialized by CellMic, a UCLA spinoff company founded by Ozcan, with products already being used in more than 10 countries.

For more information, please visit http://innovate.ee.ucla.edu.