Professor Suman Chakraborty Honored with UNESCO's TWAS Award for Advancing Low-Cost Medical Diagnostics.
Awards
In March 2025, Suman Chakraborty, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT-KGP), West Bengal (WB), has been awarded the 2026 The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Award in Engineering and Computer Sciences (CS) by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- Suman Chakraborty is currently a Jagadish Chandra Bose National Fellow and a visiting lecturer at Stanford University, California, United States of America (USA).
- His research focuses on affordable, simple-to-execute, and innovative diagnostic solutions for medical challenges, including anaemia, cancer, COVID-19, and tuberculosis.
- His notable innovations include Oroscreen, a torch-like imaging device for the early detection of oral cancer, and Covirap, a rapid COVID-19 detection test kit, which has been granted a United States (U.S.) patent for its rapid nucleic acid testing technology using Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and Ribonucleic acid (RNA) samples. He also developed PrepapQR, a home test for women to accurately test vaginal potential of hydrogen (pH) using a strip, and HemoQR, a simplified anaemia screening technology.
Main Point :- (i) The TWAS Awards have been presented annually since their inception in 1985. From 2020, the TWAS Award is presented biennially and recognizes scientists from developing countries for their outstanding contributions to scientific knowledge and sustainable development.
(ii) The award winner receives a cash prize of USD 10,000, along with a commemorative plaque during the TWAS General Conference.
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