Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) are developing a new at-home cervical cancer screening device aimed at increasing access to screening and improving early detection, particularly in under-screened communities.
Jason Warram, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine engineered the device alongside his graduate student, Abbigael Eli, B.S., and a team of UAB Biomedical Engineering (BME) undergraduate students as part of a biomedical engineering senior capstone project.
The UAB BME Capstone project is a team of undergrad honors students who work with the lead researcher and graduate students to develop a prototype working device. The student team was led by Jane Hancock, Jade Bustos, and Brock Horton. The technology is now being further developed in a UAB research lab.
When development began, there were no available at-home options for cervical cancer screening. While limited self-sampling options have since emerged, the UAB device is designed to be a low-cost alternative that uses a novel screening approach distinct from existing methods.
Jason Warram, Ph.D., and graduate student Abbigael Eli.
Unlike traditional cervical cancer screening methods, such as Pap smears or HPV testing, the UAB device does not require collecting cells from the cervix. Instead, it uses a custom-designed applicator to place a cap on the cervix. A novel agent interacts with malignant cells, if present, producing a reporter molecule over time. After use, the cap would be mailed to a testing facility, where the reporter is measured to determine the risk of cervical pre-cancer.
“This device does not rely on a cervical swab or scrape, which is often the source of discomfort during existing screening methods,” Eli said. “Rather than mechanically collecting cells, the device is worn for a period of time to interact with malignant cells and generate a detectable signal.”
This approach could help remove barriers related to time, cost, distance, and clinic access. By allowing users to complete screening in the privacy of their homes and on their own schedules, the device may increase participation among individuals who are not up to date with recommended screening guidelines.
The research team is particularly hopeful about the device’s potential impact in under-screened regions of the United States, including rural areas such as the historic Black Belt and Appalachia, where cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates remain disproportionately high. With further development, the technology could also support early detection efforts in developing regions globally, where access to cervical cancer screening programs is limited.
“While the device is still under development and not yet available for patient use, our goal is not to replace existing screening methods but to provide an additional tool for populations where access to care is limited,” Eli said. “Ultimately, we hope this technology will help increase cervical cancer screening participation in under-screened and hard-to-reach communities.”
The team expects to publish their initial findings from Eli’s thesis work on the novel reporter agent within the next few months, allowing for further development of the device and test system through the next few years. This project is supported by an NIH NCI R21 grant.
Though the work is not yet published, the UAB Harbert Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship has filed a patent application.
To learn more about this project, reach out to Dr. Warram by email at
To learn more about UAB BME Capstone projects, visit https://www.uab.edu/engineering/bme/undergraduate/capstone.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month -- to learn more about the UAB O'Neal Cancer Center and their work with cervical cancer, visit https://www.onealcanceruab.org/cancer-types/gynecologic-cancers/cervical-cancer/#.
-- Jan. 29, 2026