In 2024, Harvard Ph.D. graduate Soon Wei Daniel Lim was awarded the prestigious Schmidt Science Fellowship, along with 31 other early career researchers. Lim’s thesis in applied physics was titled “Sculpting the dark: Singularity engineering with metasurfaces,” and he was advised by Professor Federico Capasso at Harvard.
As a Schmidt Science Fellow, Lim will be transitioning from physics to biological sciences and conducting research at Stanford University. His work will focus on developing innovative ultrasound and photoacoustic medical imaging devices. Lim plans to explore the use of miniaturized acoustic sources known as acoustic frequency combs to improve the accuracy of distinguishing tissue types and pathologies, which could lead to more precise diagnoses for a wider range of diseases, especially beneficial in remote or economically disadvantaged areas.
The Schmidt Science Fellowship is an initiative of Schmidt Sciences, a philanthropic organization founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt to promote exploration and discovery that deepen our understanding of the natural world and seek solutions to global issues. Since its establishment in 2018, the program has provided support to 177 fellows across seven cohorts, nominated by 62 institutes worldwide. The fellowship aims to support researchers in expanding their work beyond their current areas of study and foster a community of interdisciplinary thinkers dedicated to addressing global challenges.
