PhD student Jongwon Lim is SLAS Innovation Award winner

Bioengineering PhD student Jongwon Lim recently received the 2024 SLAS Innovation Award, which recognizes outstanding achievements in the development of technologies with significant impact on laboratory automation, screening, and drug discovery.

Lim’s award-winning presentation, titled “Rapid and Ultra-sensitive Identification of Pathogenic DNA in Blood Using a Novel Blood Drying Technique,” describes a way to dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes to diagnose bloodstream infections through a novel blood-drying method. This method maintains a 100% sensitivity rate while dropping disease diagnosis times from a few days to just a few hours. This quick diagnosis time has the potential to save lives, and requires less complex equipment and fewer costs for both patients and administrators.

The SLAS Innovation Award, presented by the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) and sponsored by HighRes Biosolutions, was the most prestigious honor of the conference which boasted 7500 attendees and featured 400 exhibitors. Lim was one of just two student finalists in a group of nine finalists that primarily consisted of postdoctoral researchers, professors, and members of industry. The panel of judges assessed the candidates' presentations according to their impact on life science and technology, originality, creativity, quality of science, and oral presentation skills. Lim's achievement marks a significant milestone, as he becomes only the fourth student in the award's two-decade history to claim this prestigious honor.

“Stepping onto the podium in front of an audience of around 600 people to give a demanding 30-minute presentation presented a formidable challenge,” Lim said. “To overcome my fear, I devoted considerable time to practicing my presentation. Conquering this substantial hurdle not only broadened my skill set but also instilled in me a newfound confidence in my capabilities as a public speaker.”

As part of his award, Lim received a $10,000 prize and has been invited to join the SLAS Innovation Award judging panel and the Program Committee at next year’s conference. His work will also be featured in an upcoming issue of SLAS Technology or SLAS Discovery. It’s an exciting opportunity to contribute to the broader scientific dialog, and Lim looks forward to participating. 

“I really admire the people on the SLAS panel and committee, and I'm excited that I can have the opportunity to spend time with them and learn from them next year,” Lim said. “They are all very inspiring to me.”

This award is an important recognition for Lim, and serves as a stepping stone towards the promising potential this research holds. While Lim’s blood-drying method is currently primarily used to detect bacteria, the research team is now preparing to expand this technology to the detection of blood borne viruses, which will make it possible to treat more diseases and save more lives.

As he reflected on his award, Lim expressed his gratitude for the Department of Bioengineering in helping him prepare for the conference and sharpening his presentation skills.

“I’ve attended the BIOE grad symposium two times, which gave me the opportunity to present my research,” said Lim. “And I think those experiences helped me realize how I can better deliver ideas to the average person who doesn’t know the background of my research. It really shaped my presentation skills and helped me a lot.”

Lim also extended his gratitude to his mentor, Dr. Rashid Bashir, whose guidance and support played a pivotal role in his journey to receiving the SLAS Innovation Award. 

"Dr. Bashir's mentorship has been instrumental in shaping my approach to research and innovation," Lim said. "His unwavering dedication to pushing the boundaries of bioengineering and fostering a collaborative and supportive research environment has truly inspired me." 

You can read about Lim and his team’s blood-drying research in the journals Small and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.