UT TYLER >> News >> Press Release

UT Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications

UT Tyler Engineering Professor Recognized Internationally for Research

November 19, 2020

Media Contact: Beverley Golden
Senior Director of Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.566.7303

The University of Texas at Tyler announced that Dr. Shawana Tabassum, assistant professor of electrical engineering, has been recognized as an early-career researcher who has developed a device to improve infant healthcare in less developed areas.

Recognized for her work on neonatal health disparity in underserved areas across the globe, Tabassum is the Falling Walls Science Foundation Breakthroughs of the Year 2020 Emerging Talent. Her work was one of 940 entries in the science category from 111 countries.

“This is quite an accomplishment for Dr. Tabassum,” said Dr. Javier Kypuros, UT Tyler College of Engineering dean. “I am sure this is only indicative of the great work to come.”

The Falling Walls Foundation is a global hub connecting science, business and society. It was established with support of the German Ministry of Education and Research and the Berlin Senator for Education, Science and Research.

Tabassum has pioneered a device that allows the measurement of biomarker levels of newborns and infants in least developed countries. The impact of this device will be immediate in preventing fatal delays in diagnosis and treatment, said Jury Chair Claudie Haignere´ of the European Space Agency in Paris.

Similar to a glucometer, Tabassum’s device uses a drop of blood and a test strip to determine within 10 minutes what illnesses or conditions may be present in an infant.

“The strip is really the center of where my innovation lies,” said Tabassum. “The strip is inserted into a reader that tells us whether a protein is present in the body. For example, if an infant has jaundice, the strip will not only reveal that he has jaundice, but also the level of jaundice.”

The strip also indicates biomarkers for the presence and level of sepsis or infection. The technology behind this device has been patented.

After the birth of her son who was preterm with hypoglycemia, Tabassum reflected on how fortunate it was that she could afford proper healthcare. She also began to think of mothers in less developed areas of her native country, Bangladesh, as well as others around the world who do not have access to advanced healthcare.

“I thought, why wouldn’t I use my research to do something good for those communities,” she said. “I was prompted to do this kind of work not only for people who are privileged, but also for those who don’t have any privileges at all.”

A member of the prestigious UT System, The University of Texas at Tyler focuses on student success and innovative research in the more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered to nearly 10,000 students. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News and World Report as a national university and top public university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.