The researchers were recognized for their contributions to the field of technology, including advancements in digital twin technology and medical imaging.
Summary:
Biomedical engineers were among those recognized with the inaugural Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature for their contributions to medical innovation. Randles, a computational scientist and biomedical engineer at Duke University, received the award for her work in digital twin technology, which integrates computational modeling to improve cardiovascular treatment and is now being explored for cancer interventions. Li, an associate professor at the University of Adelaide, received a Judges’ Commendation for developing a hair-thin endoscope using nanoscale 3D printing and optical fiber technology to assess heart attack risk. The award, created to support gender diversity in technology, provides each winner with $250,000 to advance their research.
Key Takeaways:
- Biomedical Engineers Recognized – Amanda Randles and Jiawen Li were among the inaugural winners of the Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature for their contributions to medical innovation.
- Advancing Digital Twin Technology – Randles was honored for her work in computational modeling to improve cardiovascular diagnostics and treatment, with ongoing research into its applications for cancer.
- Innovating Medical Imaging – Li received a Judges’ Commendation for developing an ultra-thin endoscope that could help cardiologists assess heart attack risk and expand into other medical applications.
Biomedical engineers were among Sony Group Corp and Nature’s inaugural recipients of the Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature, recognizing early to mid-career women researchers for their contributions to the field of technology.
The award grants each winner a prize of $250,000 to support and accelerate their technological research.
‘Digital Twin’ Tech Researcher Honored
Amanda Randles, PhD, a biomedical engineer and computational scientist, received the award in the category of mid-career for her research in “digital twin” technology, which integrates wearable-informed computational models to provide personalized insights into cardiovascular hemodynamics and optimize treatment strategies.
Randles leads the Randles Lab at Duke University and is known for her contributions to high-performance computing, machine learning, and the personalized modeling for disease diagnostics and treatment.
After successfully exploring the use of digital twin technology to guide interventions for heart patients, Randles and team are investigating how this technique can be applied to early intervention for cancer. With this prize, the Randles Lab plans to explore innovative ways of modeling and identifying new therapeutic targets to advance cancer treatment.
Speaking on their decision, the judging panel highlighted that Randles has a “significant impact opportunity in the fascinating space of digital twins,” and that “her vision of a doctor reviewing digital twin organs to enable proactive intervention is inspiring.”
Judges’ Commendation Recipient
After receiving high-caliber applications from researchers worldwide, the judges’ panel decided to extend a special Judges’ Commendation to biomedical engineer Jiawen Li, PhD, whose vision in the medical imaging field holds promise to improve healthcare globally, according to the panel.
Li’s work combines nanoscale 3D printing with optical fiber technology to create a hair-thin endoscope that cardiologists can use to investigate blood vessels to determine a patient’s risk for a heart attack. This invention can also be used for prevention and personalized treatments.
Li, an associate professor at the University of Adelaide, Australia, is actively working on commercializing this invention, a next step in bringing this device to clinical practice. Together with her collaborators, Li is also expanding the multimodal technology’s features to measure data like site-specific temperature and chemical changes, as well as exploring applications in neurology and in vitro technology.
Recognizing Women in Tech
“We launched this award in March 2024 with the clear aim of supporting more diverse gender representation within the international research community,” says Hiroaki Kitano, chief technology officer of Sony Group Corp and executive sponsor of the program, in a release. “We are very inspired by our honorees, each of them challenging the current state of the art in their fields. We look forward to championing their work, as well as growing the program in the years to come.”
Additionally, Kiana Aran, PhD, who was selected as a mid-career winner for her achievements in the field of bioengineering. Aran is investigating the use of fingertip sensors for viral detection, exploring how artificial intelligence can work with advanced sensor technology to analyze multiple biomarkers and enable early detection of cancer and age-associated neurological diseases.
Also honored was Yating Wan, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at KAUST, who won this year’s early career prize for her work in Silicon Photonics.
Applications for the next cycle of the Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature open on March 6, 2025. To read more about eligibility guidelines, visit https://womenintechnology.sony.com/.
Photo caption: Jiawen Li, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Adelaide is among women honored with the Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature.
Photo credit: University of Adelaide
