New York – A Research team led by Indian origin American Dr. Saurabh Mehta of Cornell University of New York was awarded a $100,000 National Institutes of Health Technology Accelerator Challenge prize. Indian origin Dr Mehta has done his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.) from All IndiaInstitute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Award was given for the team’s concept for a quick, non-invasive, mobile phone-based system to detect infectious diseases, inflammation and nutritional deficiencies in saliva.

National Institutes of Health challenge encourages the development of new, non-invasive diagnostic technologies important for global health, a university report said.

Dr. Saurabh Mehta is an associate professor of global health, epidemiology and nutrition in the Division of Nutritional Sciences, in the College of Human Ecology, and the Department of Global Development in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.