Paul Yager '67

Trained as a chemist, Paul Yager has been a professor for nearly 30 years at the University of Washington, Seattle, teaching chemistry, chemical engineering and bioengineering—a department he chaired from 2008-2013.

In 1987, he established the Yager Research Laboratory at the university, guiding scores of researchers in developing new technologies for medical testing.

The Yager Lab is currently working to refine portable, paper-based testing devices that are inexpensive and can be used anywhere without a lab or a trained technician, and can quickly and accurately diagnose a host of diseases.

The Yager Lab is also developing a highly accurate, disposable, paper-based test for Ebola, to help prevent an epidemic like the one that occurred in 2013-2015.

MAD NAAT DEVICE (Prototype)
Testing a nasal swab: in minutes the device gives a readout for viruses or bacteria on paper strips. It performs multiple steps like breaking open cells, extracting nucleic acids and copying the strands for detection, and can cost as little as $1 each.

What does MAD NAAT stand for?
Multiplexable Autonomous Disposables for Nucleic Acid Amplification Tests for Limited Resource Settings

TRAILBLAZER FACTS:

Notable Numbers
- Holds more than 50 PATENTS
- Over 200 articles published in books, journals & research publications
- Recipient of 47 GRANTS for research worth over $56 million
- include the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation/Grand Challenges in Global Health

Studies:
GCS (1967); Trinity School (1971)
A.B. in Biochemistry, Princeton (1975)
Ph.D. in Chemistry, University of
Oregon in Eugene (1980)

Listen to his Ted Talk here.

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