Consistent with national and international trends, Lehigh University has seen a steady and progressive enhancement of its capability in health-related research over the last decade and longer. This includes growth of biological sciences, establishment of the bioengineering program, and a significant increase in health-related research in nearly all science and engineering departments, under the aegis of several university-wide initiatives, including the life sciences, biotechnology initiative and the Health Care Initiative.
For technology related issues in health-related research we developed a vision for the role that Lehigh can play. Specifically, matching Lehigh strengths to constraints, we developed a strategic plan with a focus on novel devices, materials, and a systems approach for precision diagnostics and materials. A critical part of implementation of this plan has meant enhancing the newly established Health Research Hub (HRH) to significantly improve the competitiveness of Lehigh University in health related research. It does so by providing integrated and shared facilities for cell and tissue culture, soft lithography or microfabrication, and characterization.
Lehigh HRH was commissioned in 2013 and comprises three shared laboratories and significant flexible laboratory space. It has been designed to foster and encourage collaborative health-related research. The HRH is primed to serve its function as a hub for collaborative and interdisciplinary health-related research at Lehigh. With the built-in infrastructure of the shared laboratories – hoods, benches, gas and vacuum supply, etc., the cell and tissue culture, microfab and imaging facilities have been equipped with cutting-edge instruments and the HRH is attracting more and more users from both Lehigh campuses at Mountaintop and Asa Packer. The current available core technologies at HRH are BSL-2+ cell/tissue labs, spin-coating, plasma etching with RIE, profilometry, atomic force and confocal microscopy, small angle X-ray scattering(SAXS), emulsion polymerization and optical coherence tomography(OCT).