Duke’s Nimmi Ramanujam Elected to the National Academy of Engineering

2/10/26 Awards

Biomedical engineering professor recognized for pioneering technologies that transform women’s cancer care worldwide.

Two women work side-by-side in a laboratory — Duke’s Nimmi Ramanujam Elected to the National Academy of Engineering

Nimmi Ramanujam, the Robert W. Carr Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE)—one of the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer.

Ramanujam was cited “for creating technologies to improve women’s health, including better detection of cervical cancer and improved breast cancer treatment.” She is the founder and director of Duke’s Global Women’s Health Technologies (GWHT) program, which she established in 2013, and has spent decades at the forefront of developing and translating innovative engineering solutions to improve women’s health worldwide.

“Congratulations to Nimmi Ramanujam on this well-deserved recognition of her leadership in her field, contributions to society and global vision,” said Alec Gallimore, provost of Duke University, the Alfred J. Hooks E ’68 Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, and a member of the NAE himself. “Dr. Ramanujam’s groundbreaking work in women’s health exemplifies how the work of engineers and scientists can be applied to solving the world’s toughest challenges and helping people around the world flourish.”

“We could not be prouder of Nimmi having been selected to join the prestigious ranks of the National Academy of Engineering in recognition of her incredibly impactful research in women health technologies,” said Jerome P. Lynch, the Vinik Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering. “Nimmi truly embodies the values and spirit of Duke Engineering. Not only is her research to better detect and cure deadly cancers pioneering, but it is her unwavering commitment to translating her work into real-world settings that uplift women across the globe is truly inspiring to me and all members of our school.”

Dr. Ramanujam’s groundbreaking work in women’s health exemplifies how the work of engineers and scientists can be applied to solving the world’s toughest challenges and helping people around the world flourish.
Alec Gallimore Provost at Duke University

Ramanujam is part of the 2026 class of 130 new NAE members and 28 international members announced by the academy. Her election brings the total number of Duke Engineering faculty members who are members of the NAE to 12.

“This honor reflects the collective efforts of an interdisciplinary community working to ensure that advances in engineering translate into meaningful health impact,” Ramanujam said.

Ramanujam’s research defines an integrated engineering framework for cancer care—one that advances early detection, improves treatment and reduces unnecessary intervention across diverse clinical settings.

Her global efforts have resulted in low-cost, portable imaging and self-screening technologies integrated with artificial intelligence and digital health platforms for the early detection of cervical cancer. These systems enable earlier detection, standardized quality control, and scalable deployment in low-resource and rural settings, bringing life-saving care closer to patients.

Not only is her research to better detect and cure deadly cancers pioneering, but it is her unwavering commitment to translating her work into real-world settings that uplift women across the globe is truly inspiring to me and all members of our school.
Jerome P. Lynch Vinik Dean of Duke Engineering

Ramanujam applies the same engineering principles in breast cancer to address overtreatment and disease recurrence. Her team is developing localized immune-modulating therapies paired with real-time metabolic imaging, allowing clinicians to monitor treatment response and relapse risk with greater precision while minimizing side effects. This work is advancing toward a Phase I clinical trial and has been supported by the largest Department of Defense Innovator Award to date—$10.4 million awarded in 2024.

two women work at a hooded research station — *Nimmi Ramanujam (right) works with PhD student Sarah Mekha.*

“Nimmi has been a pillar of the Duke community for two decades, and it is impossible to measure the impact she has had both here and abroad,” said Sharon Gerecht, Chair and the Paul M. Gross Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke. “Her leadership in pursuing new methods of impactful optical imaging modalities is a true reflection of Duke’s long-standing excellence in the field. And her unwavering work ethic and dedication to her students, our school and our profession is something we all should strive to embody.”

Beyond her research, Ramanujam is a leader in education, entrepreneurship and technology translation. In 2019, she founded Calla Health, a startup commercializing a portable cervical cancer imaging technology called the Pocket Colposcope that has reached more than 8,000 women across 11 countries. Her educational initiatives span K–12 engineering design programs, undergraduate education in technology-enabled healthcare and graduate training in global health innovation. In 2025, she authored a textbook titled “Biomedical Engineering for Global Health.”

This honor reflects the collective efforts of an interdisciplinary community working to ensure that advances in engineering translate into meaningful health impact.
Nimmi Ramanujam Robert W. Carr Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Ramanujam is a Fellow of the Optical Society of America (2009), the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (2013), the International Society for Optics and Photonics (2013), the National Academy of Inventors (2017), and a Fulbright Scholar. Her recent honors include the IEEE Biomedical Engineering Award, the Biophotonics Technology Innovator Award, the Michael Feld Award and the AnitaB.org Abie Impact Award.

As a member of the National Academy of Engineering, Ramanujam will help the academy carry out its mission to provide engineering leadership in service to the nation. With approximately 2,900 peer-elected members and international members, the NAE serves as an advisor to the United States government and conducts independent studies on critical engineering and technology challenges.

Duke Engineering Members of the National Academy of Engineering

Ana Barros (CEE, emeritus)
Robert Calderbank (ECE/CS)
Ingrid Daubechies (Math/ECE)
Earl H. Dowell (MEMS)
Alec Gallimore (MEMS)
Kenneth C. Hall (MEMS)
Gabriel G. Katul (CEE)
Nimmi Ramanujam (BME)
Guillermo Sapiro (ECE)
Vahid Tarokh (ECE)
Mark Wiesner (CEE)
Blake Wilson (BME/ECE)

See pictures, read citations and more at pratt.duke.edu/nae »