Christine Hendon, assistant professor of electrical engineering at Columbia Engineering, has won the Presidential Early Career Award (PECASE), the highest honor the U.S. government gives to young scientists and engineers. Hendon develops innovative medical imaging instruments for use in surgery and breast cancer detection; she is one of 102 researchers from across the nation named by President Obama. Christine Hendon, recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award. Courtesy of Jeffrey Schifman/Columbia Engineering. "I congratulate these outstanding scientists and engineers on their impactful work," President Obama said. "These innovators are working to help keep the United States on the cutting edge, showing that federal investments in science lead to advancements that expand our knowledge of the world around us and contribute to our economy." Hendon's research is focused on biomedical optics. She is developing optical imaging and spectroscopy instruments for surgical guidance and has earned numerous honors for her groundbreaking work. "A PECASE award is an incredible honor," Hendon said. "For a young researcher, this is the pinnacle of recognition, and I am thrilled to be included in this brilliant group. It is wonderful to see the White House acknowledging scientific accomplishments from investigators working on a diverse array of problems. I am very much excited to continue the research that my laboratory has been working on for the past four years and hope to see it widely used in the future."