Path to My CAREER Goal- for NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop

Path to My CAREER Goal- for NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop

Xingwei (Vivian) Wang, Ph.D.

Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering

University of Massachusetts Lowell

Phone: (978) 934-1981Xingwei_Wang@uml.edu

http://faculty.uml.edu/xwang

Xingwei (Vivian) Wang, Ph.D.

Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering

University of Massachusetts Lowell

Phone: (978) 934-1981Xingwei_Wang@uml.edu

http://faculty.uml.edu/xwang

NSF CAREER Proposal

• What is an NSF CAREER proposal?• Is it the same as the regular NSF

proposals?

NSF CAREER Proposal

• A roadmap

NSF CAREER Proposal

• A roadmap• Where am I now?• Where do I want to

go?• Which path to take?

NSF CAREER Proposal

• A roadmap• Who am I and where

am I now?• What is my long-

term CAREER goal?• How to reach my

goal?

My Long Term CARER Goal

• Become a leader in the optical sensing area.

7

Who Am I?

• Education– M.S.,  Ph.D., Electrical and Computer

Engineering Virginia Tech.– Certificate, Future Professoriate, Virginia

Tech.– B.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering,

Zhongshan University, Guangzhou, China.

• Training– Combination of expertise in electrical

engineering, optics, and sensor technology.

Research Activities in VT• Biosensors

– “an oligonucleotide functionalized fiber probe with a miniature protrusion for label-free DNA sequence detection”

– won Paul E. Torgerson Research Excellence Award (2006) from Virginia Tech (VT).

• Sensors for harsh environment applications– successfully verified near the fan of a turbine engine

– 6 VT invention disclosures; 1 licensed to a company (Prime Photonics) for commercialization.

Research Activities in UML• Biosensors

– Massachusetts Life Science Center (MLSC) New Investigator Research Award

• Optical fiber tip blood pressure sensor – Sponsored by UMass Commercial Ventures and Intellectual Property

(CVIP) – 1 provisional patent

• Optical temperature sensor – an NSF collaborative grant

• Miniature optical acoustic sensors using MEMS technology – Sponsored by Army Research Lab (ARL)– 1 US patent

Blood Pressure Sensor• Initial market thrust: angioplasty $8 billion/year.

• Broad applications: pressure measurements in lung, brain, intestines and other areas.

• PCT International Application for filling in the US receiving office, Application No. PCT/US10/40460 (29 June 2010)

UML SensorPressureWire® (St.

Jude Medical)**

Optical Electrical

Immune to EMI Susceptible to EMI

Biocompatible materialElectrical wires inside

the patient body

~ $50 ~ $600

Comparison with current pressure sensor

** http://www.radi.se/home.aspx?n=8&m=6&s=8&r=1

Guide wire

355.6µm (ID)

Sensor Head

125µm (OD)

Photo of the a blood pressure sensor inserted in a guidewire.

The pressure sensor in the left anterior descending coronary artery

Blood Pressure SensorFractional flow reserve (FFR)

Plaque: Pa/Pd = 0.7

No plaque: Pa/Pd = 11700 1720 1740 1760 1780

44

46

48

50

52

54

Pre

ssur

e (m

mH

g)

Time (s)

Pressure Pressure Mean Value Pressure

decreased from 50 mmHg to 45 mmHg, caused by complete occlusion of coronary vessel

Blast event measurement (Fast response)

18.848 18.850 18.852 18.854 18.856 18.8580.440

0.445

0.450

0.455

0.460

Out

put (

V)

Time (ms)

Optical fiber sensorSampling rate: 2.5 MHz

18.580 18.584 18.588 18.592 18.596 18.6000.00

0.01

0.02

0.03

0.04

0.05

0.06

O

utpu

t (V

)

Time (ms)

Reference sensorSampling rate: 2.5 MHz

Blast wave response comparison. The rise time of our sensor is 0.4 μs. The reference sensor is 12 μs.

Rise time of our sensor is 0.4 μs Rise time of the reference sensor is 12 μs

Relationship between CAREER goal and prior funding support?

Long-term goal: leader in optical sensing

Temperature sensor (NSF)

Biosensor (MLSC)Blood

pressure sensor (CVIP)

CAREER: Ultrasound generator & receiver

Pressure sensor (ARL)

CAREER topic?

CAREER topic?

CAREER Proposal Topic

Coronary intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) for coronary artery disease diagnosis

Application and Marketing

Optical Electrical

Miniature Size? 125 µm diameter Millimeter size

Safety to patients for in-vivo applications?

Yes. Biocompatible material.

Depends on packaging. Electrical wires inside the patient body.

Work in strong electromagnetic environments?

Yes. Immune to EMI.

No. Susceptible to EMI

High Temperature Survivability?

Up to 600 ºC No.

Higher frequency? >30MHz <10MHz

Comparison with current ultrasonic transducer

Principle

The ultrasonic wave is steered by the phased array technique.

Novel Mechanism for Generation and Receiving of Ultrasound on a Single Fiber Using Nanoparticles.

Intellectual Merits• 1) This proposal will be the first attempt to explore

nanoparticles for photoacoustic generation in an ultrasound probe, which is expected to enhance the ultrasound generation efficiency.

• 2) The outcome of this research will open up a new avenue for research on integration of ultrasound generation and receiving on a single optical fiber tip.

• 3) The research will be the first attempt to optically steer the direction of ultrasound generated in an optical fiber which could allow fast 360-degree cross section view and defect detection in any angle.

Relationship between CAREER goal and prior funding support

Long-term goal: leader in optical sensing

Temperature sensor (NSF)

Biosensor (MLSC)Blood

pressure sensor (CVIP)

CAREER: Ultrasound generator & receiver

Pressure sensor (ARL)

Where Am I Now?• Grants:

– NSF CAREER Award; $400K– Massachusetts Life Sciences Center New Investigator

Matching Grant, $ 599,775. – NSF MRI ($1.15M); PI– NSF MRI ($507,980); co-PI– NSF collaborative grant; PI in UML (not lead)– Companies (Raytheon; VasoTech; etc.)

• Group: – 1 Postdoctoral Researcher; 7 Ph.D. candidates (1 Ph.D.

student graduated); 1 M.S. student; 3 REU students

Think about…

• Where you are now?• Where do you want to go?• Which path to take?

Listen

• Listen to Dr. ZJ Pei• Read “NSF CAREER Proposal Writing

Tips”, ZJ. Pei, http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/nsf-career-proposal-writing-tips/703013

• Attend NSF CAREER Proposal Writing Workshop; CMMI grantee conference

Prepare Well

• Prepare well (preliminary results; educational plans; collaboration letters; etc.)

• Listen to advice/suggestions (mentors; peers; students)

• Revise and revise

Enjoy the Journey to the CAREER Goal

• Manage time efficiently• Get excited about research• Collaborate

Acknowledgement

• Profs. Pei and Gao;

• UConn

• NSF

• UML colleagues

• My group members