Problem Solvers Fund

Seeking Solutions. Improving Lives

On Oct. 29, 1969, a UCLA team led by distinguished professor of computer science Leonard Kleinrock sent the very first message over the ARPANET, the computer network that later became known as the Internet. That event, recognized today as the moment the Internet was born, ushered in a technological revolution that has transformed the world in countless ways.

Today, UCLA Engineering professor Aydogan Ozcan and his research team have developed LUCAS, an acronym for “Lens-less, Ultra-wide-field Cell-monitoring Array platform based on Shadow imaging,” which turns a cell phone into a diagnostic device by clipping on a gadget that combines an LED light, a spatial filter and a slot for a medical slide. Through the device, millions of people in such remote areas as sub-Saharan Africa who would otherwise go undiagnosed will be screened or monitored for malaria, and eventually for tuberculosis and HIV. It will also help prevent waterborne illnesses that kill about 5 million people a year. And the cost to clip LUCAS onto your cell phone? Five to 10 bucks.

Engineering isn’t about building things. It’s about making life better. UCLA Engineering leads the way in finding solutions for the greater good in clean energy, sustainable water systems, wireless health and mobile devices, smart electrical grids and much more. The work we do today will change our lives in ways we cannot yet imagine.

UCLA Engineering has an incredibly rich tradition of discovery. We live and breathe invention — it is expected of us. Our students and faculty combine their collective passion for innovation and engineering to change the world for the better. Thousands of undergraduates have the opportunity to work with the most renowned faculty in the world, engaging in research that addresses society’s most pressing challenges.

You think the future’s exciting? Wait ’til you see what we did today.