As part of a project called Emmunify, a team from the Uiniversity of California, Berkeley has simplified medical record-keeping by storing patient vaccination records on a portable chip that can then be accessed by a healthcare provider without the need for Internet access. The current team consists of two Berkeley alumni, including co-founder Anandamoy Sen, and six undergraduate and graduate students from Berkeley’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences and the School of Public Health.
“Electronic health records are not new, but in developed nations, there is more IT infrastructure in place that allows some health providers and patients to have access to medical data,” says project team member Jennifer Sisto, a graduate student in public health. “We wanted something that would be effective in areas with limited healthcare data and IT resources, so we focused on providing crucial information, not setting up an entire electronic health record system.”
With the leadership of faculty adviser Dr Julia Walsh, adjunct professor of maternal and child health, the team connected with non-profit health providers in India and began preparing to pilot-test the technology in New Delhi, where under half the children are fully immunized.
The Emmunify chip is attached to a user’s cell phone, and data is transferred to the health provider’s phone, tablet or other computer through near-field communication, a feature that is increasingly common in today’s mobile devices. A free app must be downloaded so the device can read the data on the chip. The researchers note that most families have access to at least one cell phone, and that the system is designed to be operable on various platforms. Emmunify can also be used to help direct resources where they are needed. Communities can track how many vaccines have been delivered and used, and health administrators will know when supplies are low and more vaccines are needed.
Ultimately, the system could help increase vaccination rates by sending patients automated voicemail reminders in their local language to remind them when their next shot is due.
The Emmunify team hopes to raise $25,000 to support further software development and to deploy the technology in New Delhi.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
