Global Programs Lecture Series

Microfluidic Technologies for Medical Diagnostics and Global Health

• Speaker: Peter B. Lillehoj, Ph.D.
• Date: Aug. 12, 2025
• Time: 10 - 11 a.m. CST
• Virtual event: Link will be provided upon registration

Microfluidics has led to significant advances in basic biomedical research and clinical medicine through the development of miniature biomedical devices which are low cost, reliable and simple to use. Towards this end, Dr. Lillehoj’s lab explores new strategies to create innovative microfluidic and BioMEMS platforms for broad applications in diagnostic testing and global health. In this talk, Dr. Lillehoj will present a few of these technologies, including a gravity-driven microfluidic cytometer for immune cell quantification, a mobile phone-based immunosensor for point-of-care testing and a microneedle-based skin patch for rapid diagnostic testing. 

Biography: Peter B. Lillehoj is an associate professor in the departments of mechanical engineering and bioengineering and holds the Shankle Chair in mechanical engineering at Rice University. He received a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering in 2006 from Johns Hopkins University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2008 and 2011, respectively. His research has been featured in various news media, including CBS, MSN.com, The Huffington Post and The Gates Notes. He is a recipient of several notable awards, including the NSF CAREER Award in 2014, IEEE New Innovator in NANOMED Award in 2019, Wellcome Trust Innovator Award in 2020, and two Grand Challenges Explorations grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He currently serves as an editorial board member for Scientific Reports and Micromachines.