NYU Biomedical Engineering to Launch New Impact Award with Inaugural Lecture by Nimmi Ramanujam

The Department of Biomedical Engineering at New York University will launch a new annual distinction this spring, the NYU Biomedical Engineering Impact Award, recognizing individuals whose work has had a measurable influence on the practice of medicine.

The inaugural award will be presented to Nimmi Ramanujam of Duke University, a leading figure in biomedical optics and global health. Ramanujam’s work has focused on developing technologies that extend access to cancer screening and treatment in resource-limited settings, with deployments in countries such as Kenya and Peru.

Through innovations such as portable imaging systems for cervical cancer detection, her research has helped shift critical diagnostic capabilities from centralized hospitals to frontline healthcare providers. These approaches have demonstrated the potential to improve early detection, reduce unnecessary treatment, and expand access to care for underserved populations.

“The goal of this award is to recognize work that changes how medicine is actually practiced,” said Andreas Hielscher, Chair of Biomedical Engineering at NYU. “Nimmi’s contributions exemplify what we mean by impact. Her work brings together engineering innovation and real-world implementation in a way that directly benefits patients.”

Ramanujam will deliver the inaugural NYU Biomedical Engineering Impact Lecture, where she will discuss the translation of engineering technologies into scalable healthcare solutions and the challenges of implementing innovation across diverse clinical environments.

The lecture will take place on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 11:00 am at 5 Metrotech Center, Room LC 410, on NYU’s Brooklyn campus ,and is open to the university community.

With the introduction of the Impact Award, NYU aims to establish a new tradition that highlights not only scientific excellence, but also the tangible contributions of biomedical engineering to improving human health.