Biomedical engineer Aaron Morris, a Georgia Tech biomedical engineering alumnus class of 2012, has been selected as a TED Fellow, joining a class of 20 change-makers from around the world to deliver a talk on the TED stage this April in Vancouver. Morris was selected for his work on tissue engineered diagnostic sites, a novel approach for diagnosing disease focused on new tools to create an early-warning system for immune system dysfunction. Morris is currently a research fellow in the department of biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan.

Said Aaron Morris about the opportunity, “Our current work focuses on entirely new diagnostic paradigms and I decided to apply for the TED fellowship to bring attention to some of these unconventional ideas. I'm very excited to present my TED talk in April and meet and interact with everyone at TED. I think it will help bring attention to the work and identify possible collaborators to move the work forward. For a long time I've been involved in scientific outreach, and it is harder to think of a bigger platform for communicating science in a tangible way than the TED stage.”

Morris focuses on developing devices that harness the immune system to provide information about diseased locations within the body. Tissue biopsy is a hallmark of modern medicine, but cannot be used if the site for biopsy is unknown (e.g. metastatic cancer) or too dangerous to access (e.g. brain). The devices he develops can be implanted under the skin and enable safe and easy biopsies, serving as a synthetic diagnostic site. The devices interact with the immune system and contain molecular information related to diseased sites within the body. These devices are able to monitor onset and treatment responsiveness in metastatic cancer and autoimmune diseases.

Said TED Fellows director Shoham Arad, “TED Fellows are an incredibly diverse group but they all have at least one thing in common: they are tackling extremely important problems in a unique and brilliant way. This year’s class is no exception. We are so excited to support them and their important work - and can’t wait for them to share their ideas at TED this year.”

Founded in 2009, the TED Fellows program now has 492 Fellows from 99 countries. In its eleven-year history, the TED Fellows program has created a powerful, far-reaching network made up of scientists, doctors, activists, artists, entrepreneurs, inventors, journalists and beyond.

Applications for the 2021 TED Fellows class will be open later this year. Interested applicants should visit the TED Fellows program website for information and updates about the fellowship:  http://www.ted.com/participate/ted-fellows-program/apply-to-be-a-ted-fellow.

About the TED Fellows program

The TED Fellows program brings together young innovators from around the world and across disciplines, who display both outstanding achievement and exemplary character, to raise international awareness of their work and maximize their impact. The program offers Fellows full participation in a TED or TEDGlobal Conference, a two-day pre-conference of workshops and activities, a Fellows Retreat, ongoing professional coaching and mentoring, dedicated PR coaching and active participation in the TED community, including the global TED Fellows network.

Learn more:

Complete list of all new 2020 TED Fellows and TED Senior Fellows: ted.com/fellows

Playlist: Top 10 talks by TED Fellows

Website: ted.com/fellows

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