The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Congratulates the ECE Spring Travel Award Winners

Congressman Pallone Announces Grant to Rutgers for Development of Breakthrough Medical Technology, Highlights Importance of Funding Research Agencies

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, as Congress begins the appropriations process, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) highlighted the importance of funding research agencies by announcing a $359,986 federal grant from the National Science Foundation to Rutgers University New Brunswick. The grant is for a project to design "a fiber-optic probe that will enable examination of tissue for signs of disease in real-time, non-invasively, at the level of traditional pathology." Through this technology, a doctor could perform a biopsy (i.e. potentially on cancerous tissue) without having to remove any tissue from the body. This would be less invasive and would likely cut down on the costs of medical care.

"Rutgers University is at the cutting edge of medical research, and grants like this that foster innovation will help and our state and country continue down the path to a healthier future," said Congressman Pallone. "As we debate appropriations that fund our research organizations, this grant represents why agencies like the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health are so critically important."

"We very much appreciate the NSF grant for this exciting work and Congressman Pallone's continued support for research at Rutgers," said Athina Petropulu, Rutgers School of Engineering, Professor and Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. "Professors Bajwa and Pierce are developing a technology with great potential to help cancer patients by reducing the need for invasive biopsies and improving treatment through enhanced diagnostics. This technology could improve the quality of life for cancer patients while positively impacting the cost of medical care."

Congressman Pallone is the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The Committee's Subcommittee on Health oversees the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control, among other critical health care-related issues.