Asst. Prof. Selim Hanay of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and UNAM (National Nanotechnology Research Center) has been awarded a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant. Dr. Hanay will be using the grant’s 1.5 million euro funding for his research project “Resonant Electromagnetic Microscopy: Imaging Cells Electronically.”
With this funding, a radar-like device capable of detecting diseased cells will be developed at Bilkent University. Dr. Hanay and his research team are planning to bring together a variety of different disciplines and techniques, such as nanomechanics, microfluidics and microwave sensors, to produce this novel instrument. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop a portable, low-cost and fast electronic instrument for the early detection of disease.
ERC grants are widely considered to be the most prestigious individual support provided by the European Union; a number of Nobel laureates have been among the recipients of ERC funding. The competition for ERC support, which is open to researchers of all nationalities working in a host institution in an EU member state or associated country, is keen. Dr. Hanay’s grant is the seventh ERC grant to have been received by Bilkent University researchers since the start of the ERC funding program in 2007; to date, 15 researchers from Turkey have benefited from this support.