FROM THE NEST | SPRING 2024 | 7 Latin America, given the university’s deep history of engagement with the Americas. “It’s been a central part of the Lehigh experience since the earliest days of the university’s history,” said Matherly, who accompanied Helble on the trip. A History of Latin America Engagement Lehigh’s first two international students–Hildebrando Barjona de Miranda and Raymundo Floresta de Miranda–came from Brazil in 1868, just three years after Lehigh was founded. The first student club organized by Latin American students in the United States– the Club Hispano Americano– was founded at Lehigh in 1887. A total of 1,003 international students from 82 countries enrolled at Lehigh during the 2023-24 academic year. Additionally, Lehigh has global partnerships with several Latin American educational institutions, including USFQ; Tecnológico de Antioquia- Institución Universitaria, Universidad de los Andes School of Management- Colombia, and Universidad de la Sabana in Colombia; Innova Schools and Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas in Peru. —Colin McEvoy TAYLOR STAKES / HOLLY FASCHING ’26 RESEARCH NSF AWARD TO AID CANCER DETECTION The National Science Foundation has awarded a team of interdisciplinary researchers, led by Anand Jagota, vice provost for research at Lehigh, a four-year, $2 million grant to study DNA-wrapped carbon nanotubes as nanosensors that detect molecules such as biomarkers for cancer, or possibly other diseases. Brian Davison, professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, is a co-principal investigator on the project, which includes members from the Cancer Nanotechnology Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Detecting Biomarkers In biosensing, researchers often look for the presence or concentration of a certain molecule or protein, a biomarker, to determine whether a patient is diagnosed with an illness or disease, says Jagota, professor of bioengineering and chemical and biomolecular engineering. Early detection of cancer, he says, requires specific detection of low concentrations of biomarkers in biofluids. Researchers have found that single-walled carbon nanotubes wrapped with a DNA molecule will fluoresce differently in the presence of different biomarkers. Detecting whether certain biomarkers are in the blood can determine if a person has cancer, which is the initial focus of the project.—Stephen Gross President Joseph J. Helble ’82 talks with Diego Quiroga, the rector of Universidad San Francisco de Quito. SCAN TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS AND VIDEO OF THE TRIP.
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