Health

Illustration of heart tissue in isochoric chamber

Cold-hearted science: Supercooling technique advances preservation of human tissue

09/22/21 — Berkeley researchers revive human heart tissue that had been supercooled at subfreezing temperatures for days, showing promise of technique that could be a game-changer for organ transplants and medical research.

New study shows how air pollution varies block by block

09/07/21 — Researchers used Google Street View cars to show that levels of air pollution vary not only by region, such as between urban and rural areas, but also by city street

Stock photo of light shining through a window revealing smoke

How much wildfire smoke is infiltrating our homes?

09/01/21 — Berkeley News: Environmental engineers used crowdsourced data to measure indoor air quality during California’s wildfires.

Illustration of how EarEEG-based interface could deliver instructions via Bluetooth

Earbuds that read your mind

08/18/21 — Bakar Fellows: EECS assistant professor Rikky Muller has developed comfortable earbuds that detect and record brain activity, a platform technology that could support consumer and health monitoring apps

Using machine learning to detect early-stage cancers

08/16/21 — Berkeley researchers develop algorithm for method that identifies cancer from blood tests, well before first symptoms are present.

BRAVO research participant communicates through brain activity translated by a neural network.

From brain waves to words

07/19/21 UCSF — Neuroprosthesis breakthrough from joint Berkeley-UCSF bioengineering program restores words to man with paralysis

Are heavy metals toxic? Scientists find surprising new clues in yeast

06/07/21 Berkeley Lab — Joint study led by nuclear engineering's Rebecca Abergel maps potential toxicity of lanthanide metals used in medicine, electronics

The robot surgeon will see you now

05/03/21 New York Times — Real scalpels, artificial intelligence — what could go wrong? That's what the researchers and doctors in Ken Goldberg's lab aim to find out.

A newborn infant receives supplemental warming while getting skin-to-skin contact with the mother

Infant-warming device proven safe, effective

04/29/21 Berkeley Lab — Technology developed by Ashok Gadgil's team shows a big drop in infant mortality in Rwanda hospitals

Video frame showing children on seesaw amid differing levels of air pollution

New studies of deadly air pollutant document environmental inequality

04/28/21 Washington Post — “The deck is stacked against people of color,” says civil and environmental engineering assistant professor Joshua Apte

wearable biosensors in armband as hand makes gestures

Read my hand

04/26/21 — A wearable device that uses biosensors and AI can recognize hand gestures based on electrical signals detected in the forearm.

Bioengineering professor Dan Fletcher (center) with graduate students Maria Diaz de Leon Derby and Sungmin Son

The health lab in your pocket

04/26/21 — A COVID-19 test that uses CRISPR is professor Dan Fletcher’s latest transformation of cell phones into mobile diagnostic tools.

Fence at Golden Gate Fields vaccination site

Fung Fellows create vaccine ‘Shotline’

04/21/21 Daily Californian — Volunteer service helps overcome digital barriers to booking COVID-19 vaccination appointments

Tiny wireless oxygen monitor, shown on a finger

Tiny wireless implant detects oxygen deep within the body

04/14/21 — Ultrasound-powered device offers minimally invasive way to monitor organs or tissue

Computer rendering of CRISPR SNP Chip device

CRISPR-Chip advance streamlines genetic testing for medical diagnostics and research

04/05/21 — New study demonstrates platform's ability to detect single-point mutation without DNA amplification

Heavy metals listed in the periodic table

Scientists recruit new atomic heavyweights in targeted fight against cancer

12/14/20 Berkeley Lab — Methods from team led by nuclear engineering assistant professor Rebecca Abergel could lead to systems for both diagnosing and treating cancer in real time

Exploded view of N95 mask, and assembled prototype modeled by undergrad researcher Jason Duckering

Anti-COVID mask breaks the mold

12/10/20 LBL — Scientists from Berkeley Engineering and Berkeley Lab have designed a rechargeable N95 mask with a custom fit

Illustration of cellphone checking for coronavirus RNA

CRISPR-based COVID-19 test uses smartphone cameras

12/04/20 — New diagnostic test, with accurate results in under 30 minutes, developed by scientists at Berkeley (including bioengineer Daniel Fletcher) and Gladstone Institutes

Graphic of Lucira coronavirus test device and 4-step instructions

Home coronavirus test springs from Berkeley Engineering roots

11/18/20 — First FDA-approved, rapid test for home use was developed by Lucira Health, founded by bioengineering Ph.D. graduates Debkishore Mitra and John Waldeisen

Patents for Humanity honors Berkeley-designed infant warmer

11/05/20 — An infant-warming device developed by civil and environmental engineering professor Ashok Gadgil and a Berkeley Lab colleague received an honorable mention