A team of researchers from American University of Sharjah (AUS) were declared runners-up in the Research Project of the Year Award category at the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) Global Awards 2016 ceremony held in Manchester, UK on November 3, 2016.

Led by Dr. Ghaleb Al Husseini, Professor of Chemical Engineering at AUS, the team of researchers from the university came in second place for their project entitled "Nanocarriers and ultrasound in cancer treatment." The AUS team made the final stage for the Research Project of the Year Award, along with projects from Harvard University; University of Manchester; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; University of California, San Diego; George Washington University; and University of Birmingham to name a few.

The project, in collaboration with Brigham Young University, Utah, USA, investigated the use of nano-sized carriers, capable of sequestering chemotherapeutic agents until they reach the tumors due to chemotherapy's numerous side effects of killing normal and cancerous cells alike. Once at the desired location, ultrasound is applied to release the chemotherapy drug directly to the cancer site, thus avoiding any interaction with the healthy cells in the body, and minimizing the adverse side effects of chemotherapy.

Established in 1994, IChemE is a global professional membership organization for chemical engineering professionals and anyone involved with the process industries, including the emerging bioprocess sector. IChemE has over 44,000 members in 120 countries. IChemE Global Awards highlight excellence, innovation and achievement in the chemical, biochemical and process industries from all over the word.