Manish Nair: Closer to a Tool To Fight Cervical Cancer

Manish Nair

Hometown: Born in Canada, raised in Singapore
Double Major: Biomedical Engineering, Global Health
Clubs/Organizations: Brownstone SLG, GlobeMed@Duke, International Orientation, Singapore Students' Association, Duke Honors Council
Any other activities you participated in: Bass Connections, Intramural Soccer (champions!)
Post-graduation plans: I will be returning to Singapore to work with the government.
Favorite Duke memory: Watching Mr. Sam Hammond, the chapel carillonneur, play the carillon at Duke Chapel: amidst the incessant bustle of life here at Duke, the ringing of the Chapel bells at 5 p.m. every day unfailingly compels us to take pause and marvel at the beauty and wonder of everything around us. Witnessing the creation of these sounds was a surreal experience that will long remain etched in my memory. 

As a resident of Singapore, Manish Nair spent two years doing mandatory military service as an Officer Cadet in the Singapore Armed Forces before coming to Duke, and is therefore two years older than most of his classmates.

Manish’s team’s Bass Connections Project focused on the development of a low-cost, portable tool to screen for cervical cancer. Cervical cancer affects 500,000 women worldwide each year, resulting in more than 270,000 deaths annually, and the majority of cases occur in low-income countries that cannot afford the tools commonly used in the United States. Manish’s team is seeking approvals to introduce the Pocket Colposcope into Peru and East Africa where they currently have regulatory approval but require market approval.

Manish was recognized for his strong leadership abilities and the contributions he has made globally. Through Duke Student Affairs, Manish is this year’s recipient of the Demonstration of Integrity Award, the Outstanding Contributions to the Global Community Award and the William J. Griffith University Service Award, which is presented to a select number of graduating students whose service and contributions to the Duke and larger communities have significantly impacted University life. Recipients demonstrate effective University, communal and global citizenship.