The NIH Bench to Bedside Pioneer Award recipient is Prof. Claude Boccara of Institut Langevin at Ecole Superieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielle ESPCI in Paris, where Professor Boccara has been one of the most inspiring scientists. Since 1982 at ESPCI, Professor Boccara has contributed to the advance of optical sciences as Director of Laboratoire d’optique, then Dean of Research with Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (Physique Nobel Laureate) and Jacques Prost. His pioneering work on understanding the physics of small objects has led to extremely sophisticated technologies in microscopy and spectroscopy. Based on his work, new kind of microscopes have been developed to increase depth and lateral resolution much below sub-wavelength limits (picometers in depth and nanometers in lateral). Professor Boccara’s expertise in optical sciences has been a great success in the biomedical arena. As an example, Professor Boccara has designed a unique Full Field Optical Coherence Tomography system for biological tissue characterization and function, in-vivo, and being a real engineer, he has been involved in bringing this unique technology to the bedside through industrial partnership. Professor Boccara is the recipient of ten scientific awards, including the prestigious Leon Brillouin Price, a major honor of the French Optical Society. As an outstanding teacher, he has been involved in mentoring scientists at all stages of their careers and helping establish pathways for career growth at one of the most respected scientific institutions in the world.
Claude Boccara a reçu le 15 septembre 2011 le « NIH Bench to Bedside Pioneer Award » de l’Institut Américain de la Santé
