Introducing Dr. Jing Chen
Dr. Chen, founder and CEO of HiComp, is a former Peking University professor with more than 180 peer-reviewed papers, six books and more than 100 patents in microelectronics and MEMS.
Research
Grounded in clinical research
ILSC's work is built on clinical trials and careful review of the medical literature, conducted with university partners in Ghana and the United States.
Published September 2026
Sickle cell disease clinical trial
With the University of Ghana Medical School and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, ILSC sponsored a 150-person study comparing its urinary protein test with the standard albumin test (ACR) in adults with sickle cell disease. The two tests performed equivalently in identifying kidney damage, and their results were only moderately related, suggesting ILSC's test measures different, smaller proteins.
Published September 1, 2026 in Frontiers in Medicine (Nephrology): "Clinical evaluation of a novel urinary protein competitive immunoassay in the detection of proteinuria in adults with sickle cell disease."
Started summer 2026
Early Detection Evidence Review
A review of published medical research on how much earlier smaller urinary proteins signal kidney damage than the standard albumin test is being conducted.
The findings will estimate the potential detection advantage of ILSC's test and set the foundation for a follow-up study of stored urine samples, planned for 2027. An expert steering committee guides the work.
Article published March 2025
Economic impact study
Economists from Quinnipiac University and the University of Ghana studied the cost of sickle cell disease for households in Ghana. Families caring for a patient face higher direct and indirect healthcare costs, and early detection helps them plan for long-term care.
Read the article (MyJoyOnline, Ghana)
Journal publication link: TBD for Rick Flath to provide most recent.
Protocol approved
Preeclampsia clinical trial
Building on the sickle cell results, ILSC's preeclampsia study applies the same urinary protein test to pregnant women at risk of preeclampsia, with 200 patients planned. The protocol has been approved by the University of Ghana Medical School's review board.
Completed literature reviews
- Sickle cell disease and the kidney
- Sickle cell trait and the kidney
- Preeclampsia and kidney function
- Sickle cell disease and neurocognitive function
Newsletters
Updates from ILSC President Rick Flath to our Board, Advisory Council and friends.
Welcoming Dr. Edward Donnell Ivy
Dr. Ivy, Chief Medical Officer of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, joins ILSC's Advisory Council alongside its medical advisors.
Test strip development begins
ILSC contracts with HiComp in San Diego to design and develop the test strip, works with BBI Solutions in the UK on antigens, and welcomes Jennifer Burdman to the Advisory Council.
Our collaboration network
Highlights ILSC's partners, including the UN Department of Global Communications, the Council of Organizations, The Unforgotten, the University of Ghana and Quinnipiac University.
Clinical trials planned for 2026
Plans for expanded trials in sickle cell disease and preeclampsia, and a protocol in development for diabetes, all with the University of Ghana Medical School.
The household cost of sickle cell disease
An analysis of the financial burden of sickle cell disease on Ghanaian families is published in Ghana, with a full academic paper submitted for journal review.
Adding data to the test
ILSC announces that its point-of-care test will include data collection and analysis, expanding its value for patients, clinicians and health systems.
Introducing ILSC on video
Four short videos introduce ILSC's mission, its sickle cell and preeclampsia initiatives, and its data work.
A full agenda for 2025
ILSC's 2025 initiatives in kidney health, data and education, and its association with the UN Department of Global Communications.