Innovative Research Presented at Poster Day

Among the presenters were Louis Wang (l), a sophomore at Cornell University, and James Xu (second from l), a freshman at Columbia University. They are joined by NIBIB mentors Drs. Aleksander Gorbach (third from l) and Alexandr Smirnov.

Photo: Raymond Macdougall

More than 300 research posters representing projects undertaken by NIH Summer Research Program participants filled several display areas within Natcher Conference Center at a poster day on Aug. 10.

Among the presenters were Louis Wang, a sophomore at Cornell University, and James Xu, a freshman at Columbia University. Both worked this summer in the infrared imaging and thermometry unit, a trans-NIH intramural resource at NIBIB, on using mobile phones to monitor certain aspects of health.

With help from NIBIB mentors Drs. Aleksander Gorbach and Alexandr Smirnov, NIBIB unit chief, Wang and Xu designed and built a portable video device that enables a mobile phone to monitor the shape of capillaries in a region close to the fingernail—information that can have implications, for example, about rheumatic diseases. The method is wireless and offers continuous monitoring of peripheral microcirculation, even when patients are remote from a clinic or doctor. Working with clinical groups from NIEHS and NHLBI, the team created custom software and specially designed attachments for an iPhone 7 to quantify nail fold capillary density.

Hans Prakash, a post-baccalaureate IRTA in the unit who is also a part of the team, is working with the clinical groups to evaluate the device at the Clinical Center.