Nimmi Ramanujam, Ph.D.

NAE Member

Biomedical Engineering

Robert W. Carr, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Nimmi Ramanujam, Ph.D. Profile Photo
Nimmi Ramanujam, Ph.D. Profile Photo

Research Interests

Biomedical engineering, biophotonics, women's cancers, global health, engineering design, point of care technologies, metabolic imaging, deep learning, immune modulating therapies.
rn

 

Bio

Nirmala (“Nimmi”) Ramanujam is the Robert W. Carr Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Cancer Pharmacology, Cancer Biology, and Global Health at Duke University. In 2013, she founded the Center for Global Women’s Health Technologies (GWHT) to advance technology-driven solutions for women’s health. Her work leads translational cervical and breast cancer research that brings together academic institutions, hospitals, industry partners, and non-governmental organizations in the United States and around the world. Across both disease areas, her research emphasizes the translation of engineering innovation into real-world clinical impact, with a focus on equitable and sustainable cancer care.

In cervical cancer, Ramanujam has developed low-cost, point-of-care screening systems that integrate portable and self-imaging devices, contrast-enhanced imaging, and AI-driven diagnostics. These approaches enable task-shifting of early cancer surveillance from specialists to midwives and community health workers. Her collaborative efforts have led to the implementation of a successful “see-and-treat” program in the Andean region of Peru, with ongoing work to establish similar models in Kenya.

In breast cancer, her research aims to reduce overtreatment and prevent recurrence through complementary therapeutic and imaging strategies. These include localized immunomodulatory therapies that activate anti-tumor immunity with minimal systemic toxicity, as well as real-time metabolic imaging technologies that provide early indicators of relapse risk and treatment response.

Alongside her research, Ramanujam is deeply engaged in advancing education, entrepreneurship, and translation in women’s health technologies. In 2019, she founded Calla Health to commercialize innovations from her laboratory, reaching more than 8,000 women across 11 countries. She also co-developed The (In)visible Organ, a femtech documentary selected for the Women at the Center Film Festival, and leads Bass Connections initiatives that provide project-based learning opportunities in STEM and health care technologies.

Ramanujam has received numerous honors for leadership and innovation, including the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Innovator Award, the IEEE Biomedical Engineering Technical Field Award, and the AnitaB.org Social Impact Award. She is a Fellow of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Inventors, a Fulbright Scholar, and the author of Biomedical Engineering for Global Health, which connects engineering principles to real-world global health challenges.

Education

  • B.S. University of Texas, Austin, 1989
  • M.S. University of Texas, Austin, 1992
  • Ph.D. University of Texas, Austin, 1995

Positions

  • Robert W. Carr, Jr., Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering
  • Professor of Biomedical Engineering
  • Research Professor of Global Health
  • Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology
  • Member of the Duke Cancer Institute
  • Affiliate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society
  • Core Faculty Member, Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

  • Breast Cancer Research Program Innovator Award. US Department of Defense. 2024
  • IEEE Biomedical Engineering Award. IEEE. 2023
  • Women In Molecular Imaging Network (WIMIN) Leadership Committee. WIMIN. 2020
  • Michael S. Feld Biophotonics . OSA. 2020
  • Associate Editor. Inaugural Editorial Board of IEEE OJEMB. 2020
  • The WomC Global Impact Award. Duke University Womenu2019s Center. 2020
  • Women in Molecular Imaging Network Outstanding Leadership in Molecular Imaging Award. World Molecular Imaging Society. 2019
  • Associate Editor. Scientific Reports. 2019
  • Social Impact Abie Award. AnitaB.org . 2019
  • Biophotonics Technology Innovator Award. International Society for Optics and Photonics. 2019
  • Program co-leader for Radiation Oncology and Imaging Program. Duke Cancer Institute. 2019
  • CUGH Emerging Leader in Global Health Innovation Faculty Award. Consortium of Universities for Global Health. 2018
  • Fellow (NAI). National Academy of Inventors. 2017
  • Fellow. International Society for Optics and Photonics. 2013
  • Fellow. American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. 2012
  • Fellow. Optical Society of America. 2010

Courses Taught

  • ISS 796T: Bass Connections Information, Society & Culture Research Team
  • ISS 396T: Bass Connections Information, Society & Culture Research Team
  • BME 792: Continuation of Graduate Independent Study
  • BME 791: Graduate Independent Study
  • BME 494: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
  • BME 493: Projects in Biomedical Engineering (GE)
  • BME 462L: Design for the Developing World (DR)
  • BME 290L: Intermediate Topics with Lab (GE)
  • BME 290: Intermediate Topics (GE)

Publications

In The News