Sensors and Diagnostics

Sensors represent the interface between the universe and data. Encompassing a multitude of applications from medical diagnostics, to machine health, to photography, a sensor is required to detect something in the external world (a photon, electron, physical parameter, or molecule) and convert it to a signal that can be observed and analyzed. The field of sensors is inherently interdisciplinary, engaging faculty and students from departments and centers across the University. These include biological and biomedical sciences, clinical practice, engineering disciplines, chemistry, physics, optics, and data science. Currently, there is no departmental program or center serving this important scientific constituency. While there are occasional ad hoc collaborations in sensors on campus, most efforts are siloed. This hampers research and student education in equal measure. The proposed UCIS cluster in Sensors and Diagnostics will address this deficiency, with a particular focus on activities that will bring together interested researchers from across the University to enhance interactions, develop scientific collaborations, and stimulate new and productive scholarly activities.