image: Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor and professor of bioengineering and electrical and computer engineering at Rice University, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the nation’s highest honors in health and medicine.
Credit: Rice University
HOUSTON – (Oct. 20, 2025) – Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor and professor of bioengineering and electrical and computer engineering at Rice University, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), one of the nation’s highest honors in health and medicine.
Richards-Kortum was recognized “for major contributions to global health by creating low-cost, lifesaving technologies for underserved communities. Her innovations, from cervical cancer diagnostics to neonatal care technologies, have transformed health systems worldwide. She established educational programs, training future engineers to develop impactful, affordable health technologies globally.”
A trailblazer in global health engineering, Richards-Kortum leads with a whole-systems approach ⎯ advancing not only new medical technologies but also the sustainable networks and training that make those technologies effective in real-world environments. Her laboratory has helped pioneer cost-effective optical imaging and diagnostic tools that improve early detection and treatment for diseases such as cancer, infectious diseases and sickle-cell disease as well as technologies that enhance neonatal and maternal care.
At Rice, Richards-Kortum co-directs the Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies, which brings together engineers, clinicians and students to design and implement affordable solutions to some of the world’s most urgent health challenges. Rice360 is a founding member of NEST360, an international alliance of universities, hospitals and nonprofits working to end preventable newborn deaths across sub-Saharan Africa by ensuring that lifesaving technologies are supported by trained staff, reliable supply chains and data-driven management. The collaboration, active in Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria, provides a model for sustainable, system-level impact. Richards-Kortum’s broader collaborations in the Americas and Asia extend this work, adapting resilient and effective approaches to diverse local health systems.
“I’m deeply honored by this recognition from the National Academy of Medicine,” Richards-Kortum said. “Throughout my career, I have been driven by the belief that every person deserves access to high-quality health care, no matter where they live. Engineering gives us the tools to make that possible — by transforming good ideas into technologies that truly work in the settings where they are needed most.”
Current examples of her translational work include the Center for Innovation and Translation of Point-of-Care Technologies for Expanded Cancer Care Access, funded through the National Institutes of Health, which supports the development of low-cost tools to improve the early detection of cancers; and AccessPath, a project supported by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, which aims to deliver affordable, real-time digital pathology of tumor margins — work that could reduce repeat operations and expand access to high-quality cancer surgery in community and resource-limited hospitals.
“Rebecca represents the best of what Rice stands for — bold innovation driven by compassion,” Rice President Reginald DesRoches said. “Her technologies are saving lives in hospitals around the world, and her example inspires students to see engineering as a force for shaping a better tomorrow.”
Richards-Kortum’s career has combined pioneering research, invention and education. She has authored more than 300 research papers, 13 book chapters and a textbook on biomedical engineering for global health used in classrooms around the world. Showing how research can lead to real-world change, her work has also produced more than 40 patents.
Her honors include election to the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. Richards-Kortum is the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, has served as a U.S. Science Envoy for Health Security and was named to Fortune magazine’s list of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders.”
“Rebecca has a remarkable ability for bringing people together across disciplines and continents to tackle complex societal challenges such as health care costs and health inequities in a truly impactful way,” said Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “She bridges engineering, medicine, science and education to innovate and deliver technologies that improve outcomes for patients while transforming how students learn. She is a pioneer and leader in her field.”
Richards-Kortum is a University Professor, Rice’s highest academic rank, and the fourth Rice faculty member elected to NAM, joining Vivian Ho, Antonios Mikos and Lydia Kavraki. She is also the second faculty member of Rice’s George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing ⎯ alongside Kavraki ⎯ to be elected to all three national academies.
Luay Nakhleh, the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering and Computing, praised Richards-Kortum’s role in building Rice’s leadership in bioengineering and global health.
“Rebecca has set a standard for what it means to engineer for the greater good,” Nakhleh said. “She creates technologies that are innovative, practical and sustainable — and she has built the partnerships to make sure they endure.”
This year, NAM elected 90 regular members and 10 international members, bringing its total membership to more than 2,500. The academy, established in 1970 as part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, provides independent, objective analysis and advice to address complex challenges in health, science and policy.
Richards-Kortum’s election to NAM reflects Rice’s momentum in building bridges between discovery and delivery, and its commitment to lead innovations in health as part of its strategic plan for the next decade. Through sustained partnerships across the Texas Medical Center, the U.S. and abroad, Richards-Kortum has helped shape a model of research that improves health outcomes in tangible and lasting ways.