image: Recipients of Inaugural Keith Terasaki Mid-Career Innovation Award
Credit: Terasaki Institute
Los Angeles, CA – February 7, 2025 - The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Engineering (TIBI) is pleased to announce their selection of Dr. Liangfang Zhang - Irwin Jacobs Chancellor’s Endowed Chair Professor at the University of California San Diego, and Dr. Aydogan Ozcan – Chancellor’s Professor, UCLA & Professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), as the recipients of the inaugural Keith Terasaki Mid-Career Innovation Award. These awards will be presented at the 3rd Annual Terasaki Innovation Summit, to be held March 5-7, 2025, at the Terasaki Institute Research Headquarters in Woodland Hills, California.
About the Keith Terasaki Mid-Career Innovation Award
The Keith Terasaki Mid-Career Innovation Award honors the legacy of Dr. Keith Terasaki, a visionary leader and passionate philanthropist who made significant contributions to the Los Angeles innovation ecosystem. Created in memory of the former board chairman, this prestigious award celebrates scientists who embody Dr. Terasaki's spirit of translating groundbreaking research into real-world impact.
The award recognizes mid-career scientists who demonstrate innovative approaches that challenge existing scientific paradigms, showcase entrepreneurial spirit in research, and commit to transforming scientific discoveries into practical solutions with potential for meaningful societal change.
Recipients share a $10,000 cash prize ($5,000 each), deliver featured presentations at the Terasaki Innovation Summit, and receive national recognition for scientific excellence. Through this award, we continue Dr. Terasaki's vision of supporting visionary scientists dedicated to changing the world.
Dr. Liangfang Zhang
Dr. Zhang is amongst the top and extremely creative scientists in the field of nanoscience and nanomedicine. His expertise lies in the development of therapeutic nanoparticles to treat a variety of important diseases including cancers and bacterial infections, making Dr. Liangfang Zhang one of the leading authorities in this field of investigation. The value of his original contributions is well documented by his many publications in the field’s most preeminent journals, including Nature, Nature Nanotechnology, PNAS, Nano Lett., ACS Nano, Adv. Mater, etc. Dr. Zhang has already published 296 peer-reviewed articles with a total citation number of over 59800 and an h-index of 130. He also holds 132 issued and pending patents.
Among his many achievements, Dr. Zhang’s pioneering effort to develop a novel method of disguising nanoparticles as red blood cells (RBCs)—enabling them to evade the body’s immune system and deliver cancer-fighting drugs directly to a tumor—can be seen as the highlight of his dedicated career. His method involves collecting the membrane from an RBC and wrapping it like a powerful camouflaging cloak around a biodegradable polymeric nanoparticle filled with a cocktail of small-molecule drugs. Dr. Zhang invented this RBC membrane coating technique and demonstrated its effectiveness and robustness in a recent PNAS paper (2011, 108, 10980-10985; cited approximately 2,270 times). This work represents the first attempt to combine natural cellular membranes with synthetic nanomaterials to develop novel biomimetic drug delivery systems.
"I am deeply honored to receive the Keith Terasaki Mid-Career Innovation Award. Dr. Terasaki’s legacy of innovation and real-world impact is truly inspiring, and I am humbled to be recognized in his name. This award reinforces my commitment to advancing nanomedicine and developing transformative technologies that improve lives,” said Dr. Liangfang Zhang, Joan and Irwin Jacobs Chancellor’s Endowed Chair Professor at the University of California San Diego.
Dr. Aydogan Ozcan
Dr. Aydogan Ozcan is a pioneering scientist in biophotonics, computational microscopy, and diagnostic technologies, with a significant impact on biomedical applications such as pathology, microbiology, and global health. His groundbreaking research integrates photonics with computational techniques to develop cost-effective, highly sensitive imaging and sensing instruments. He has led the use of mobile phones for biomedical diagnostics, creating innovative tools like smartphone-based microscopes, flow cytometers, and pathogen sensors.
Dr. Ozcan's lab at UCLA has also revolutionized histopathology with AI-driven virtual staining, replacing traditional, time-consuming tissue staining methods with deep learning. This patented technology, commercialized through his company Pictor Labs, has the potential to transform pathology labs by enabling faster and more cost-effective disease diagnosis.
With over 330 journal publications, 42,900 citations, and an H-index of 106, Dr. Ozcan's contributions extend beyond research. He holds over 85 issued patents, many licensed by major companies, and has been recognized globally, including as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum. Additionally, his mentorship has shaped over 350 undergraduate researchers at UCLA, with a strong emphasis on diversity and STEM retention.
"It’s a huge honor to receive the Keith Terasaki Mid-Career Innovation Award.
Dr. Keith Terasaki’s legacy of innovation is truly inspiring, and this recognition strengthens my commitment to advancing biomedical optics and making transformative healthcare technologies accessible worldwide," said Dr. Aydogan Ozcan – Chancellor’s Professor, UCLA & Professor, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
Recognizing the two remarkable scientists for their exceptional work in the field of biomedical research, Professor Ali Khademhosseini, Director and CEO of the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation said, " At the Terasaki Institute, we are committed to advancing pioneering research that transforms scientific discovery into real-world solutions. The Keith Terasaki Mid-Career Innovation Award celebrates visionaries who redefine the frontiers of biomedical innovation. We are honored to recognize Dr. Zhang and Dr. Ozcan for their groundbreaking contributions, and we look forward to the profound impact their work will continue to have on science and society."
For more information, please contact:
Stewart Han
Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation
Email: shan@terasaki.org
About the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation:
The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (terasaki.org) is a non-profit research organization that invents and fosters practical solutions that restore or enhance the health of individuals. The Institute is made possible through an endowment from the late Dr. Paul I. Terasaki, a pioneer in the field of organ transplant technology.
###