Richards-Kortum joins Rice to lead bioengineering program

Richards-Kortum joins Rice to lead bioengineering program

BY JADE BOYD
Rice News staff

Award-winning biomedical researcher Rebecca Richards-Kortum, a pioneer in the development of noninvasive screening methods for cervical cancers and precancers, has joined the faculty of Rice University’s Department of
Bioengineering.

Richards-Kortum became the chair of Rice’s Department of Bioengineering this fall when she joined the faculty as the Stanley C. Moore Professor of Bioengineering. She comes to Rice from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas–Austin (UT).

“Dr. Richards-Kortum is a rising star and a dynamic leader,” said C. Sidney Burrus, former dean of Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering. “Her cutting-edge research in laser spectroscopy, biophysics and diagnostic imaging is complementary with the work of several groups in our Department of Bioengineering, and her strong ties to the Texas Medical Center further Rice’s goal of developing robust links between our bioengineering programs and those at research institutions throughout the Gulf Coast region.”

Richards-Kortum’s research centers on new, noninvasive cancer detection technologies that use high-resolution, optical imaging; the use of fluorescent imaging agents for cancer detection; biophysical studies of the light-scattering properties of cells and tissues; and the use of fiber-optic sensors for in vivo detection of cancer.

Richards-Kortum recently received a five-year, $8 million grant from the National Cancer Institute to develop miniature, disposable microscopes that doctors can use to rapidly diagnose tumor genotypes for lung, oral and cervical cancers without conducting a biopsy. The project — a collaborative effort with researchers from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the British Columbia Cancer Agency, the University of Arizona and the UT Health Science Center–Houston — involves the identification of unique molecular markers for each tumor type, the development of contrast agents that will bind to those markers and the development of the microscopic probes containing the markers.

A laser probe developed by Richards-Kortum and M.D. Anderson’s Michele Follen is currently in multicenter clinical trials for early detection of cervical cancer and precancer. The probe uses fluorescence spectroscopy to develop automated methods of screening for pre-invasive cervical cancer.

“This is an incredibly exciting time to be joining Rice,” Richards-Kortum said. “I’m looking forward to playing an active role in helping to shape future collaborations with the Texas Medical Center and continuing to develop premier educational and research programs in bioengineering.”

Richards-Kortum received a bachelor of science in physics and mathematics, with highest distinction, from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1985. She earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in medical physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1987 and 1990, respectively. She joined UT’s electrical and computer engineering department in 1990 and was one of the founding members of UT’s Department of Biomedical Engineering in 2001.