Paras Prasad, a University at Buffalo researcher and inventor, has been named the 2016 recipient of the Gold Medal of the SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics.
According to UB, the award — which is the society’s highest honor — is awarded to just one person each year. Prasad will receive it in August in recognition of his “numerous, world-renowned, pioneering contributions to nonlinear optics, nanophotonics and biophotonics, as well as over three decades of outstanding service to SPIE.”
Prasad serves as executive director of the Institute for Lasers, Photonics and Biophotonics at UB. He is a SUNY Distinguished Professor in the departments of chemistry, physics, medicine and electrical engineering.
Optics and photonics involve the study of and the manipulation of light. According to UB, Prasad was a pioneer in the field of light-based nanomedicine, which involves using tiny, light-activated particles for diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of disease.