At eMerge, FIU researchers showcase technology aimed at improving health

Dozens of FIU researchers will be on hand at eMerge Americas to showcase the latest technology developed at the university, including some that promise to change the way health care is delivered. eMerge Americas is taking place on Miami Beach May 1-5, 2015.

“Only in its second year, eMerge has quickly established itself as a marketplace of ideas and innovation,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg, who, together with other university presidents, will participate on a panel about how universities are fostering a culture of entrepreneurship. “For academics and researchers, eMerge is a golden opportunity to connect with industry and bring scientific discoveries to market.”

The panel, “Edtech 2.0: Presidents Edition” will take place on Monday at 3:50 p.m. Other FIU panelists include Richard Florida, visiting fellow of the FIU-Miami Creative City Initiative, on Monday at 1:25 p.m.; David Klock, dean of the FIU College of Business, on Monday at 3:15 p.m. and Dr. Ana Viamonte Ros, associate professor in the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, on Tuesday at 11:05 a.m.

In addition, one of the university’s most unique assets – the Aquarius Reef Base in FIU’s Medina Aquarius Program – will be featured on the main Expo Stage at 4 p.m. on Monday, May 4. Thomas Potts and Aileen Soto from the Aquarius team will present “FIU Medina Aquarius Reef Base – Gateway to Inner Space.”  Potts and Soto will link eMerge participants to aquanauts working 60 feet beneath the sea off the coast of Key Largo, to discuss opportunities at the world’s only manned undersea research station.

FIU is offering all eMerge participants exclusive early access to a six-hour online cyber security course designed by FIU experts. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated FIU a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education through the year 2019. FIU is also one of the first public universities to offer a graduate degree program in cybersecurity and an undergraduate degree with a concentration in this field.

FIU has 2,500 square feet of exhibit space at eMerge, where business owners can meet with representatives of the Small Business Development Center, which offers local small business consulting services at no cost. In addition, 19 FIU projects in various stages of development will be on display at the Miami Beach Convention Center during the Monday and Tuesday expo. Among the projects are:

• Prescription Light: The Medical Photonics Laboratory at FIU is developing devices to diagnose diseases like diabetic retinopathy and melanoma using biophotonics – light-based imaging used in the study of biological molecules, cells and tissue.
• What’s in Your Breath: FIU researcher Jose Almirall and alumnus Digno Caballero have teamed up to develop a device that can be used to diagnose serious illness simply by having a person breathe through it. This puts analytical chemistry at patients’ fingertips.
• Guiding Neurosurgeons: FIU’s research team has developed an optical surgical guidance system that is capable of differentiating brain tumors from the normal brain, providing better prognoses for patients with brain tumors and epilepsy.
• Breast Scan 2.0: FIU researcher Anuradha Godavarty and her team have invented a hand-held scanner to provide pre-screening of breast cancer for women.
• Lighting the Brain: FIU researcher Jorge Riera and his team are developing ways to integrate different types of brain imaging in the hopes of understanding and reducing the start of epilepsy in children.
• Stop a Terrorist: Users can lead a team of CIA operatives trying to stop a terrorist attack on South Florida. The simulation, developed by FIU’s College of Business, College of Arts & Sciences and the Division of Information Technology, uses real-world financial, population and demographic data to help participants make strategic decisions, solve problems and use creative thinking to control flow and outcomes.

To learn more about eMerge click here.