Electrical and Computer Engineering assistant professor Kai Fu, in conjunction with Radiation Oncology clinical professor Vikren Sarkar, have received the prestigious HCI Engineering Award: Innovation in Cancer Engineering. Their proposal, focused on designing novel detectors for proton therapy, was selected due to its “outstanding potential to provide impactful solutions to cancer challenges.” This one-year pilot funding is part of a collaborative venture between the Huntsman Cancer Institute, the Price College of Engineering, the Department of Radiation Oncology, and the Division of Radiation Oncology at the University of Utah.
Fu and Sakar will use the generous funding from the HCI Engineering Award to continue their work in developing reliable and portable GaN-based proton detectors tailored for proton therapy. These detectors are designed to enhance validation for accurate beam positioning and dose control. Their work will advance and deepen scientific understanding of “designing novel detectors for proton therapy.”
Fu and Sakar look forward to continuing their work, and hope that the outcomes of their project will ultimately be of great benefit to future patients.
