November 9, 2016, Barrington, NJ, USA - Edmund Optics, the premier provider of optical components, announces the recipient of the 2016 Norman Edmund Inspiration Award receiving $5,000 in product donation.  Dr. Sangeeta Murugkar, an Assisstant Professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada is in development of a hand-held probe for the noninvasive, in vivo prospective assessment of tumor chemo-sensitivity at the time of surgery.

 

Dr. Murugkar's goal is to apply Raman Micro-Spectroscopy (RMS) in conjuction  with multivariate statistical analysis to discriminate between chemo-resistant and chemo-sensitive human ovarian carcinoma cell lines and tissue. When applied in the clinical setting, this technique could enable prospective assessment of tumor chemo-sensitivity at the time of surgery, a first in the field.

 

One of the criteria for selecting a winner is to explain how the research project inspires others to pursue a career in optics or optical research. Dr. Murugkar's proposed project uses Raman micro-spectroscopy and imaging to differentiate between ovarian tumor cells that are inherently resistant or sensitive to chemotherapy. The optical imaging techniques developed in this project have an ability to make a real difference in reducing patient suffering and improving patient survival. "As a cancer survivor, I have seen the world from both sides of the spectrum. I am thus highly motivated to help improve cancer prognosis and reduce patient suffering," said Dr. Murugkar. "We have recently shown that Raman micro-spectroscopy is a highly sensitive technique to discriminate between normal and malignant ovarian epithelial cells." The vision of this project is to develop a hand-held probe for noninvasive, in vivo prospective assessment of tumor chemo-sensitivity at the time of surgery and ultimately providing the potential to increase the chance of achieving a cure for patients with ovarian cancer.  

 

The Norman Edmund Inspiration Award honors the contributions made by Norman Edmund to advance the science of optics.  The recipient of the award is chosen from among the 30 global finalists of the 2016 Educational Award in the Americas and Europe, who best represent the legacy of Mr. Edmund.