Khalifa University receives grand challenges explorations grant

Khalifa University announced today that it is a Grand Challenges Explorations winner, an initiative funded by the Bill '&' Melinda Gates Foundation. Dr. Ahsan Khandoker, Assistant Professor in Biomedical engineering will pursue an innovative global health and development research project, titled "A Low Cost Phonogram Device for Screening Fetal Wellbeing." "This grant will enable us to develop and test our device in local clinical settings, and eventually to develop a low cost version. I am very honored to receive this prestigious grant, and this wonderful opportunity to develop something that I feel very passionate about, and that will help countless women and their unborn babies," Dr. Khandoker said. "One of our goals at Khalifa University is to create and nurture a culture of research and innovation excellence focused on challenges of societal and economic importance," said Dr. Mohammed Al-Mualla, Senior Vice President of Research '&' Development at Khalifa University. Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) funds individuals worldwide who are taking innovative approaches to some of the world's toughest and persistent global health and development challenges. GCE invests in the early stages of bold ideas that have real potential to solve the problems people in the developing world face every day. Dr. Khandokers's project is one of over 80 Grand Challenges Explorations Round 9 grants announced today by the Bill '&' Melinda Gates Foundation. "Investments in innovative global health research are already paying off," said Chris Wilson, director of Global Health Discovery and Translational Sciences at the Bill '&' Melinda Gates Foundation. "We continue to be impressed by the novelty and innovative spirit of Grand Challenges Explorations projects and are enthusiastic about this exciting research. These investments hold real potential to yield new solutions to improve the health of millions of people in the developing world, and ensure that everyone has the chance to live a healthy productive life." A Low Cost Phonogram Device for Screening Fetal Wellbeing will see a team of scientists develop a low-cost and non-invasive abdominal phonogram device that will use a mobile phone to determine the well-being of fetuses in developing countries.