Low-cost optical sensing for healthcare
Discussion meeting organised by Professor Jeremy J Baumberg FRS, FRSC and Professor Duncan Graham FRSC
The increasing emergence of novel optical sensors which operate at the nanoscale opens tantalising opportunities for low-cost paradigms in data-rich sensing that can impact Healthcare. Here we focus on continuous biochemical information (‘BioSensors 2.0’) which go far beyond currently physiological wearable or diagnostic sensors to probe information on health across a variety of settings, and ask which modalities can succeed.
Programme
The programme, including speaker biographies and abstracts, is available below. Please note that the programme may be subject to change.
Poster session
There will be a poster session on Monday 9 November 2026. If you would like to present a poster, , abstract (up to 200 words), author list, and the name of the proposed presenter and institution no later than Friday 9 October 2026. Acceptances may be made on a rolling basis so we recommend submitting as soon as possible in case the session becomes full. Submissions made within one month of the meeting may not be included in the programme booklet.
Attending the event
This event is intended for researchers in relevant fields.
- Free to attend
- Both virtual and in-person attendance is available. Advance registration is essential
- Lunch is available on both days of the meeting for an optional £25 per day. There are plenty of places to eat nearby if you would prefer to purchase food offsite. Participants are welcome to bring their own lunch to the meeting
Please note that scientific meetings hosted by ºìÌÒÊÓƵ do not necessarily represent a Royal Society position or signify an endorsement of the speakers or content presented.
Enquiries: contact the Scientific Programmes team
Organisers
Schedule
Chair
Professor Jeremy Baumberg FRS
University of Cambridge, UK
Professor Jeremy Baumberg FRS
University of Cambridge, UK
Professor Jeremy J Baumberg FRS is the Harald Aspden Professor of Fundamental Physics at the University of Cambridge, directing a key UK NanoPhotonics Centre. He develops optical materials structured on the nanoscale, with strong experience at Hitachi, IBM, and his spin-offs combining academic insight with innovation. With over 57000 citations (h-119), he is a leading innovator in Nano, leading to awards including the IoP Faraday gold Medal (2017) and Royal Society Rumford Medal (2014). He is currently chair of the UK EPSRC Council and advisor to ARIA. His recent popular science book is “The Secret Life of Science: How Science Really Works and Why it Matters”, see np.phy.cam.ac.uk.
| 09:00-09:05 |
Welcome by ºìÌÒÊÓƵ and lead organiser
Professor Jeremy Baumberg FRSUniversity of Cambridge, UK
Professor Jeremy Baumberg FRSUniversity of Cambridge, UK Professor Jeremy J Baumberg FRS is the Harald Aspden Professor of Fundamental Physics at the University of Cambridge, directing a key UK NanoPhotonics Centre. He develops optical materials structured on the nanoscale, with strong experience at Hitachi, IBM, and his spin-offs combining academic insight with innovation. With over 57000 citations (h-119), he is a leading innovator in Nano, leading to awards including the IoP Faraday gold Medal (2017) and Royal Society Rumford Medal (2014). He is currently chair of the UK EPSRC Council and advisor to ARIA. His recent popular science book is “The Secret Life of Science: How Science Really Works and Why it Matters”, see np.phy.cam.ac.uk. |
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| 09:05-09:30 |
Interferometric sensing of proteins and miRNA
Professor Selim UnluBoston University, US
Professor Selim UnluBoston University, US |
| 09:30-09:45 |
Discussion
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| 09:45-10:15 |
SPR biosensors
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| 10:15-10:30 |
Discussion
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| 10:30-11:00 |
Break
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| 11:00-11:30 |
Fluorescence-based water testing
Professor Ashim DhakalPhutung Research Institute, Nepal
Professor Ashim DhakalPhutung Research Institute, Nepal |
| 11:30-11:45 |
Discussion
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| 11:45-12:15 |
Electrochemical sensors
Professor Pedro EstrelaBath University, UK
Professor Pedro EstrelaBath University, UK |
| 12:15-12:30 |
Discussion
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Chair
Professor Giulia Tagliabue
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Professor Giulia Tagliabue
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
| 13:30-14:00 |
SERS-based microfluidic sensing
Professor Zac SchultzOhio State University, US
Professor Zac SchultzOhio State University, US |
|---|---|
| 14:00-14:15 |
Discussion
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| 14:15-14:45 |
SERS based multicomponent sensing
Professor Molly StevensUniversity of Oxford, UK
Professor Molly StevensUniversity of Oxford, UK |
| 14:45-15:00 |
Discussion
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| 15:00-15:30 |
Break
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| 15:30-16:00 |
Optical typing of bacteria
Professor Jennifer DionneStanford University, US
Professor Jennifer DionneStanford University, US Jennifer (Jen) Dionne is a Professor of Materials Science and, by courtesy, of Radiology at Stanford. She is also deputy director of Q-NEXT (a DOE-funded National Quantum Initiative), a Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator, and co-founder of Pumpkinseed, the "Biology Mining Company". Jen received her BS degrees in Physics and Systems Science and Mathematics from Washington University in St Louis, her PhD in Applied Physics at Caltech, and her postdoctoral training in Chemistry at Berkeley. As a pioneer of nanophotonics, she is passionate about developing novel methods to detect and direct biochemical transformations, emphasizing critical challenges in global health and sustainability. Her lab has demonstrated how AI-enabled Raman spectroscopy can be used to identify pathogens and predict their antibiotic resistance; and to monitor drug susceptibility of melanoma. She also forged new ground in developing in vivo tools for mechanobiology. Finally, she has pioneered environmental transmission electron microscopy, providing atomic-scale insights that enable catalysts for sustainable chemical manufacturing. Her work has been recognized with the NSF Waterman Award, a NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, a Moore Inventor Fellowship, and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and was featured on Oprah’s list of “50 Things that will make you say ‘Wow’”. |
| 16:00-16:15 |
Discussion
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| 16:15-17:00 |
Poster flash talk session
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Chair
Professor Hatice Altug
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Professor Hatice Altug
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
| 09:00-09:30 |
Mid-IR sensing
Professor Hatice AltugÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Professor Hatice AltugÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland |
|---|---|
| 09:30-09:45 |
Discussion
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| 09:45-10:15 |
FTIR for cancer detection
Professor Matt BakerUniversity of Central Lancashire, UK
Professor Matt BakerUniversity of Central Lancashire, UK |
| 10:15-10:30 |
Discussion
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| 11:00-11:30 |
Colorimetric detection
Professor Charlie MaceTufts University, US
Professor Charlie MaceTufts University, US |
| 11:30-11:45 |
Discussion
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| 11:45-12:15 |
Optical sensing
Professor Giulia TagliabueÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Professor Giulia TagliabueÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland |
| 12:15-12:30 |
Discussion
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Chair
Professor Duncan Graham FRSC
University of Strathclyde, UK
Professor Duncan Graham FRSC
University of Strathclyde, UK
| 13:30-14:00 |
QCM aptamer sensing
Professor Ciara O’SullivanUniversitat Rovira i Virgili, Catalonia
Professor Ciara O’SullivanUniversitat Rovira i Virgili, Catalonia |
|---|---|
| 14:00-14:15 |
Discussion
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| 14:15-14:45 |
Biomedical imaging
Professor Elizabeth HillmanColumbia University, US
Professor Elizabeth HillmanColumbia University, US Dr Elizabeth Hillman is Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Radiology and a member of the Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute and Kavli Institute for Brain Science at Columbia University. Dr Hillman received her undergraduate training in Physics and PhD in Medical Physics and Bioengineering at University College London. She was a post-doctoral fellow and then junior faculty at the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School before joining Columbia University in 2006. Dr Hillman’s research program focuses on understanding the mechanisms of functional neurovascular coupling in the brain. Her lab also specializes in the design and development of novel optical imaging and microscopy techniques for capturing structure and function in the living brain. |
| 14:45-15:00 |
Discussion
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| 15:00-15:30 |
Break
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| 15:30-16:00 |
Nanoshell SERS for cancer detection
Professor Naomi HalasRice University, US
Professor Naomi HalasRice University, US Naomi J Halas is a University Professor and the Stanley C Moore Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University. She was the first person to introduce structural control into the synthesis of metal nanoparticles to control their optical properties. She is the author of over 400 refereed publications, has more than 30 issued patents, and has presented more than 650 invited talks. She co-founded Syzygy Plasmonics, a company currently deploying light-based chemical reactors based on photocatalyst particles originally invented in her laboratory. She is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, and ºìÌÒÊÓƵ of Chemistry (UK). |
| 16:00-16:15 |
Discussion
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| 16:15-17:00 |
Panel discussion
Dr Xavi Prieto
Dr Xavi Prieto |