Rebecca Richards-Kortum of Rice University’s Bioengineering Department was surprised when she found out she was selected as a MacArthur Award recipient for her work on finding solutions for global health problems.
Richards-Kortum was inspired to work on developing medical technologies for less developed countries during her work abroad.
“I had a chance to travel to Malawi ten years ago and it was for me a very transformational trip when I saw the huge need for equipment at the hospitals there,” she says. “It really started from that first trip.”
What you’ll hear in this segment:
– How Richards–Kortum inspires and engages undergraduate students at Rice to have an immediate impact on improving health
– The effect of her $625,000 MacArthur Genius Grant on her mission to help women and children in Malawi
– Specific technology therapies that she has proven to bring down treatment costs
– The balance between her private life and professional research
Post by George Economos.
