Engineering Systems and Diagnostics

The field of engineering systems plays a crucial role in understanding and combating infectious diseases ranging from developing advanced diagnostic tools to designing efficient healthcare infrastructure. Engineers contribute by creating innovative technologies for rapid detection, monitoring, and treatment of infections. Innovative ventilation systems are designed to mitigate airborne transmission in healthcare facilities and public spaces. Supply chains for vaccines and medical supplies are optimized, ensuring timely distribution during outbreaks. Pioneering data analytics and modeling approaches to predict disease spread and assess intervention strategies. Ultimately, engineering systems empower us to address infectious diseases with precision and efficacy.

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Prestigious NSF award to advance UK research to track emerging pathogens

Scott Berry, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, is the principal investigator of the six-year cooperative agreement projected to be nearly $18 million.

It’s part of NSF’s Predictive Intelligence for Pandemic Prevention (PIPP) program, which was initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic to address both the immediate threat as well as the broad range of diseases that drastically impact life on Earth.

In this second phase of the program, the awards establish centers comprised of multidisciplinary research teams to tackle this challenge.

UK is one of four institutions supported with this award. Its new center, named the NSF Pandemic Environmental Surveillance Center for Assessing Pathogen Emergence (NSF ESCAPE), will focus on environmental surveillance by combining social science, engineering, bioinformatics and risk modeling.

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