Lyme Advocate and UCLA Researcher Olivia Goodreau Receives Four Awards for Point-of-Care Tick-Borne Disease Diagnostics

Lyme Advocate and UCLA Researcher Olivia Goodreau Receives Four Awards for Innovative Point-of-Care Tick-Borne Disease Diagnostics

LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, June 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Olivia Goodreau, founder of the LivLyme Foundation, Lyme disease advocate, and undergraduate researcher at UCLA, has been recognized with four awards at the 2026 UCLA Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Undergraduate Research Symposium for her work advancing rapid, point-of-care diagnostics for Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses.

The symposium was organized by the laboratories of Dr. Aydogan Ozcan, Dr. Dino Di Carlo, and Dr. Omai Garner at the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at UCLA, with support from the PATHS-UP Engineering Research Center, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Koç University, and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Goodreau presented alongside research partners Sunny Do and Adrian Anaya, showcasing three innovative projects designed to improve access to rapid, accurate testing for tick-borne diseases:

A Single-Tier Multiplexed Point-of-Care Test for Lyme Disease in Europe (oral presentation, poster, and demonstration)
Dual Detection of Lyme and Babesia Using Vertical Flow Assays from Whole Blood (poster and demonstration)
A Multiplexed Serologic Assay for Point-of-Care Screening of Tick-Borne Diseases (oral presentation, poster, and demonstration)

The team received the following honors:

Best Overall Presentation – A Single-Tier Multiplexed Point-of-Care Test for Lyme Disease in Europe
Best Poster – A Single-Tier Multiplexed Point-of-Care Test for Lyme Disease in Europe
Best Demo – A Multiplexed Serologic Assay for Point-of-Care Screening of Tick-Borne Diseases
Best Poster – A Multiplexed Serologic Assay for Point-of-Care Screening of Tick-Borne Diseases

For Goodreau, the recognition represents more than academic achievement. Diagnosed with Lyme disease after an 18-month diagnostic journey that required visits to 51 doctors, she has dedicated much of her life to improving awareness, research, and patient outcomes for tick-borne diseases.

“Receiving these awards is incredibly meaningful because this research has the potential to help patients receive faster and more accessible diagnoses,” said Goodreau. “As someone who experienced firsthand the challenges of obtaining an accurate diagnosis, I am passionate about helping develop technologies that can bring testing closer to patients and ultimately improve care.”

The award-winning projects leverage advances in artificial intelligence, multiplexed diagnostics, and point-of-care testing technologies to address longstanding challenges in Lyme disease detection. The work aims to make testing faster, more affordable, and more accessible for patients in both clinical and community settings.

“Olivia has spent years advocating for the Lyme disease community through research, education, and public health initiatives,” said Denise Erwin, Vice President of Operations of the LivLyme Foundation. “To see her now contributing directly to the development of next-generation diagnostics while being recognized by UCLA for excellence in research is incredibly rewarding.”

Goodreau is the founder of the LivLyme Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting pediatric Lyme disease patients, advancing research, and increasing public awareness of tick-borne diseases. She is also the author of But She Looks Fine: From Illness to Activism and has served on national advisory groups focused on Lyme disease and public health.

Beyond her laboratory research, Goodreau is also the creator and co-inventor of several digital health tools designed to support patients and advance tick-borne disease awareness. These include the TickTracker App, which helps individuals monitor tick bites and symptoms; the LongHaulTracker App, developed to track long-term illness symptoms and outcomes; and Tickmojis, an educational initiative designed to increase awareness through engaging digital content. Together, these platforms have helped educate thousands of patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and researchers while advancing data collection and public awareness surrounding tick-borne diseases.

The UCLA HHMI Undergraduate Research Symposium highlights outstanding undergraduate research across multiple disciplines and provides students an opportunity to present innovative scientific discoveries to faculty, researchers, and peers.

About Olivia Goodreau

Olivia Goodreau is a Lyme disease advocate, author, researcher, and founder of the LivLyme Foundation. Diagnosed with Lyme disease after an 18-month journey involving 51 doctors, she transformed her personal health challenges into a national advocacy movement focused on improving patient outcomes and accelerating research.

She is the author of But She Looks Fine: From Illness to Activism, creator and co-inventor of the TickTracker App, LongHaulTracker App, and Tickmojis, and has testified before federal agencies and national policymakers on behalf of Lyme disease patients. Through the LivLyme Foundation, she has helped fund pediatric patient grants, support scientific research, and advance public awareness initiatives nationwide.

Currently, Goodreau conducts research at UCLA focused on developing innovative point-of-care diagnostics for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, combining her experience as both a patient advocate and researcher to help create faster, more accessible diagnostic solutions for patients around the world.

Denise Erwin
LivLyme Foundation
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