Edmund Optics names its 2023 Award winners

17 Jan 2024

Educational and Norman Edmund prizes reward student optics research in STEM worldwide.

Edmund Optics, a global provider of optical technology solutions, has announced the recipients of its 2023 Educational Award program.

This award is given in recognition of outstanding undergraduate and graduate optics research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs at non-profit colleges and universities worldwide.

“Inspiring innovation is at the core of what Edmund Optics does,” explained Marisa Edmund, Chairman of the Board and Chief Global Marketing and Sales Officer. “That is why we continue to invest in this program year after year.”

Over $35,000 USD in Edmund Optics products will be awarded to the Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners in the Americas and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) to support their research.”

The remaining 14 finalists will receive product matching awards. The recipient of the Norman Edmund Inspiration Award, which best embodies the legacy of Edmund Optics’ founder, Norman Edmund, is also chosen from the 20 global finalists and will receive an additional $5,000 in Edmund Optics products.”

Gold, Silver, and Bronze Award winners

In the Americas, the Gold Award was awarded to Danilo Almeida Machado at Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, Brazil, for a telecentric optical system developed for rocket injector spray analysis which provides for a thorough characterization for cold tests of combustion injectors.

The Silver Award was awarded to Samuel Mardoqueo Afanador Delgado at Centro Universitario de Los Lagos, Mexico, for a project using Z-scan to identify the non-linear optical properties of the genomic DNA of healthy and breast cancer cells to make an early diagnosis in patients with this type of disease.

The Bronze Award was awarded to Dilara Long at the University of Arizona, USA,for comparing structural and functional features of the uterotubal junction in women with and without endometriosis using optical coherence tomography imaging, and for developing a miniature minimally invasive endoscope for endometriosis diagnosis.

In EMEA, the Gold Award was awarded to Jelle Schoppink at the University of Twente, Netherlands, for laser-induced cavitation in a microfluidic channel for fast jet generation. The thin jet is fast enough to penetrate the skin and, therefore, deliver medication without a needle.

The Silver Award was awarded to Shiyue Liu at Kings College London, United Kingdom, for developing a unified FTIR/Raman and mass spectrometry imaging instrument for the multidimensional analysis of molecules in triple negative breast cancer tissue samples.

The Bronze Award was awarded to Jeremy Teo at New York University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for the development of a miniaturized brightfield microscopy system for evaluating 3D cell culture systems to be used for space biology research.

Norman Edmund Inspiration Award Recipient

The Norman Edmund Inspiration Award was awarded to Dilara Long at the University of Arizona, USA, for aiming to compare structural and functional features of the uterotubal junction in women with and without endometriosis using optical coherence tomography imaging, and for developing a miniature minimally invasive endoscope for endometriosis diagnosis.

This research project has the potential to bridge the gap between unmet clinical needs and state-of-the art, non-invasive optical technology, particularly in women's health applications.

In the setting of endometriosis, minimally invasive optical technologies have the potential to reduce costs and complications, inform diagnosis and staging, monitor disease progression, and facilitate personalized treatment, ultimately reducing chronic pain, infertility, and even the risk of some cancers.