Technology Center for Patient-Friendly Point-of-C care HIV/AIDS Diagnostics
Official title: Technology Core - The Center for Innovation in Point-of-Care Technologies for HIV/AIDS and Emerging Infectious Diseases at Northwestern University (C-THAN)
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11385926 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Northwestern center is funding and improving easy-to-use HIV/AIDS diagnostic tools that work in low-resource settings and help people living with HIV in the U.S.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 11, 2018 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $680,776 |
| NIH project number | 7U54EB027049-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11385926 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with HIV and individuals in low-resource settings who need rapid, easy-to-use diagnostics.
✕Less likely to help
Settings with reliable infrastructure and centralized laboratories may not directly benefit from ultra-portable tests.
What this research studies
This grant supports a Technology Core that collaborates across technology, clinical, regulatory, and commercialization teams to create rapid, low-cost point-of-care tests for HIV/AIDS and related infections. The focus is on user-friendly devices that can operate with minimal infrastructure, require only local training, and offer rapid, reliable results. The work aims to bring innovative diagnostics to communities with limited electricity, refrigeration, or water access, with the goal of improving patient management. By ensuring devices have self-checks, calibration, and error diagnosis, the project seeks to empower healthcare providers and patients with timely information. The center will partner with other POCTRN members to translate early-stage technologies into practical tools for real-world care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients in low-resource settings and people living with HIV in the U.S. could receive faster, cheaper, and more accessible diagnostic results that inform timely treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Previous POCTRN efforts have shown that well-designed point-of-care tests can improve diagnostic speed and patient management.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcfall, Sally Maureen — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Mcfall, Sally Maureen
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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.