MedE Special Seminar

Abstract:  JPL's focus in developing new technologies, devices, instruments and engineering techniques for space exploration provides a wealth of potential medical technologies, devices, and instruments. The requirements for small, powerful instruments that are not resource hungry are a common theme in both space applications and medical field. 

Because of this commonality of requirements and because of the interest of individual researchers, there has been a steady level of effort at JPL to focus on medical applications. With establishment of Caltech Medical Engineering and with the increasing interest at JPL toward the field, efforts toward medical engineering and technologies are gaining more momentum. To help further this effort, I am hoping that my presentation would serve as an initiating bridge that would help us establish better ties between the efforts at JPL and Caltech Medical Engineering.  In this presentation, I will introduce the concept of using space technologies for medicine, which could inspire Caltech researchers and help foster collaborations amongst the campus and the lab.

Bio:  Dr. Nikzad leads the Advanced Detectors, Imaging System, and Nanoscience Group at JPL where she has initiated and developed many successful detector, device, and imaging instrument programs, including high performance back illuminated imaging arrays, end-to-end post fabrication processing, human-eye inspired curved focal plane arrays, III-N photocathodes, low-energy particle detectors, novel UV imaging spectrometer, high speed UV camera, and compact UV camera. Her research interests include UV-NIR imaging array, advanced epitaxial techniques and device applications; bandstructure and interface engineering using epitaxial techniques; kinetics of growth; nanostructures fabrication and nanostructure-based devices. Her interests extend into the application including space and medicine.