Rebecca Richards-Kortum, PhD

Rebecca Richards-Kortum is the Malcolm Gillis University Professor of Bioengineering and Co-Director of Rice360 at Rice University. She was recognized as a MacArthur Foundation Fellow for her research developing miniature imaging systems to screen for oral, esophageal, and cervical cancer and their precursors at the point of care in low-resource settings. Richards-Kortum is one of five eminent US scientists selected to serve the US Department of State as a US Science Envoy for Health Security.
Motivated to improve global access to lifesaving technologies for high-quality health care, Rebecca Richards-Kortum’s research and teaching focus is on the development of low-cost, high-performance technologies for low-resource settings. She is known for increasing access to innovative medical technologies that address diseases and conditions in vulnerable populations that cause high morbidity and mortality, such as cervical and oral cancer, premature birth, sickle cell disease, and malaria.