Global Health

How can we address challenges and disparities that transcend national borders?

Using our philosophy of “frugal science” we tackle some of the most complex planetary-scale challenges, from climate change to emerging infectious diseases to extreme poverty. We invent, build, and scale-up ultra low-cost, yet powerful, open science tools for ecological monitoring (Abuzz), tropical disease diagnoses (Octopi, Squid), and science education (Foldscope). Our field work-focused approach allows us to collaborate with vulnerable communities across the globe to build a healthy, equitable, and sustainable future.

Liberia, 2022

Topics

Our work is often rooted in global health issues that burden LMIC and low-resource settings, hence the topics/diseases that we target are often those regarded as the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Below are some of the topics that we have engaged in so far.

Related Projects:
SnapDx
Handyfuge
Pneumask
1000x1000
Pufferfish
N95 Decon

Related Publications:

Related Projects:
Octopi
Inkwell
Paperfuge
Related Publications:
https://doi.org/10.1101/684423
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2304.10200
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2304.10200

Related Project:
Related Publications:
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2306.05653

Related Projects:
SnapDx
Related Publications:
https://doi.org/10.4269/ajtmh.14-0741
https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys3924

Related Project:
PlantPad
Related Publications:
(coming soon)

Related Projects:
Foldscope
Related Publications:
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0098781
Press/Links:
PBS
Microcosmos

Locations

Only so much can be done in the lab.

With the majority of our work designed to serve communities in LMIC, much of field sites often takes us out of California — as we travel to many countries in Africa and Asia on projects relating to global and environmental health. By being on-site, we gain a better understanding of the context and local constraints which help us design tools and ideas that solve real issues and become useful in each geographic context.

LIBERIA

SENEGAL

INDIA

KENYA

NEPAL

MADAGASCAR

RWANDA

CAMEROON

UGANDA

NAIROBI

PUERTO RICO

BOLIVIA

CHILE

TANZANIA

Tools Deployed

AT A GLANCE

FOLDSCOPE

2+ MILLION

PLANKTOSCOPE

10,000

GRAVITY MACHINE

PNEUMASK

23,700

The above map and figures provide only a glimpse of the deployment data and do not fully capture the total units deployed, the range of devices in use, or their distribution across locations. More details will be available soon.