Center to Bring Quick Cancer Tests from Lab to Patients
Official title: The Center for Innovation and Translation of Point of Care Technologies for Expanded Cancer Care Access (CITEC)
Funded at Rice University · NIH-11599397 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A center is being built at Rice University to create and spread affordable, easy cancer tests that can be used in clinics and rural areas to catch cancer early.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rice University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project start | September 13, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $13,791 |
| NIH project number | 3U54EB034652-04S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11599397 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates include individuals in primary care or rural settings where access to advanced cancer testing is limited, and health systems seeking scalable POC solutions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients in very remote or resource-constrained settings without any infrastructure to implement POC tests may have limited immediate benefits.
What this research studies
This grant supports developing point-of-care cancer tests that are simple, fast, and affordable so people in diverse settings can get screening early. It focuses on identifying clinical needs, accelerating the creation of practical POC technologies, and testing how well these tools work in real-world health settings. The goal is to train developers and users to adopt scalable tests that improve access to cancer care, especially where resources are limited. The work centers on cancers that start on epithelial surfaces and aims to reduce premature death by enabling earlier detection.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from earlier, more accessible cancer detection and better chances for successful treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Previous efforts show that simpler, rapid cancer tests can improve early detection when properly implemented.
Where this research is happening
-
Rice University
Houston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Richards-Kortum, Rebecca R. — Rice University
- Study coordinator: Richards-Kortum, Rebecca R.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.