Diana is working to improve efficiency of disease diagnosis in hospitals. The current process of diagnosing life-threatening illnesses like cancer involves a time-consuming and expensive pathology laboratory workflow, with patients waiting weeks for results after surgery. Diana’s project focuses on miniaturizing a form of 3D imaging called optical coherence tomography (OCT) and integrating it into a silicon photonic chip to create a medical device capable of real-time imaging of patient tissue.

By bypassing the traditional approach, this technology has the potential to significantly reduce diagnosis time and costs. Through the Kavanaugh Fellowship, Diana is exploring the commercialization of the technology, with the goal of turning it into a viable medical device.