Faculty - Duke BME

faculty. List alphabetically by specialties photos

Department Chair:

George A Truskey, Professor
Dr. Truskey's research interests include cardiovascular tissue engineering, mechanisms of atherogenesis, cell adhesion, and cell biomechanics.

Primary Faculty:

Roger C Barr, Anderson-Rupp Professor
PhD, Duke University
Dr. Barr's research interests include bioelectricity and biomedical computing.
Nenad Bursac, Assistant Professor
PhD, Boston University
Bursac's research interests include engineering of heart tissue substitutes with controllable geometry and function; experimental and therapeutic applications. Optical mapping of electrical propagation in excitable tissues.
Ashutosh Chilkoti, Theo Pilkington Professor (joint with Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science)
PhD, University of Washington
Chilkoti's research focuses on biomolecular materials and surface science and emphasizes the development of applications that span the range from bioseparations, biosensors, patterned biomaterials, and targeted drug delivery.
Morton H Friedman, Professor
Dr. Friedman's research interests focus on the role of mechanical forces in the localization and evolution of vascular disease, particularly atherosclerosis. Specific areas of research are the influence of adaptation on vascular biology and physiology, the influence of shear stress gradients and harmonic content on the vascular endothelium, and the influence of coronary artery geometry and dynamics on plaque formation and rupture.
Warren M Grill, Professor
PhD, Case Western Reserve University
Dr. Grill’s research interests and in neural engineering and neural prostheses and include design and testing of electrodes and stimulation techniques, the electrical properties of tissues and cells, and computational neuroscience with applications in restoration of bladder function, treatment of movement disorders with deep brain stimulation, and multi-joint limb movement.
Craig S Henriquez, Associate Professor and Professor
Henriquez's research interests include large scale computing, heart modeling, and brain modeling.
Joseph A Izatt, Professor
PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Professor Izatt's research interests are in the area of biophotonics and include coherence-based biomedical imaging and microscopy, novel technologies for ophthalmic imaging, and nanoscale studies of cellular morphology and dynamics.
David F Katz, Professor
Dr. Katz's research interest include methods for prophylaxis against STD's, emphasizing topical microbicides and contraception; biofluid mechanics; rheology and transport phenomena; biophysical aspects of mammalian sperm motility, sperm transport, and fertilization; and biomechanical functioning of the vitreous of the eye.
Kam W Leong, James B. Duke Professor
Leong's research interest focuses on biomaterials design, particularly for synthesis of nanoparticles for gene and immunotherapy, and nanofibers for regenerative medicine applications.
Barry S Myers, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Senior Associate Dean for Industrial Partnerships and Research Commercialization, Professor of Biomedical Engineering, with appointments in Surgery, Business, and Anatomy, Director of the Center for Entre
Wanda K. Neu, James L. and Elizabeth M. Vincent Professor
Krassowska Neu's research includes electroporation-mediated drug delivery and gene therapy, and control of cardiac arrhythmias using nonlinear dynamics
Kathryn Nightingale, Assistant Professor
Nightingale's research interests include: ultrasonic imaging, specifically nonlinear propagation, acoustic streaming and radiation force; the intentional generation of these phenomena for the purpose of tissue characterization; finite element modeling of normal and diseased tissue when exposed to ultrasound, and performing both phantom and clinical experiments investigating these phenomena. Other areas of interest include ultrasonic flow detection and cardiac imaging, the bioeffects of ultrasound, and beamforming.
Nirmala Ramanujam, Associate Professor
Ramanujam's research interests include optical spectroscopy, optical sectioning microscopy and photon migration techniques. Her research group is developing and applying these optically based tools for the non-invasive characterization of the biochemical and structural properties of human tissues.
William M Reichert, Professor
Reichert's research interests include biosensors, protein mediated cell adhesion, and wound healing.
Lori A Setton, Mary Milius Yoh and Harold L. Yoh, Jr. Bass Professor and Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Research in Setton's laboratory is focused on the role of mechanical factors in the degeneration and repair of soft tissues of the musculoskeletal system, including the intervertebral disc, articular cartilage and meniscus.
Stephen W Smith, Professor
Current research interests are the development and evaluation of improved medical ultrasound image quality for applications in cardiology, radiology and obstetrics. Advances in image quality result from improvements in the spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of diagnostic ultrasound scanners through novel signal processing techniques and improved design of ultrasound transducers.
Jingdong Tian, Assistant Professor
Gregg E Trahey, Professor and Faculty
Trahey's research interests include medical ultrasound, image guided surgery, adaptive imaging, imaging of tissue's mechanical properties, and radiation force imaging.
Tuan Vo-Dinh, R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Professor and Director of Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics
PhD, Biophysical Chemistry, ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zurich, Switzerland
Vo-Dinh’s research activities and interests involve biophotonics, laser-excited luminescence spectroscopy, room temperature phosphorimetry, synchronous luminescence spectroscopy, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, field environmental instrumentation, fiberoptics sensors, nanosensors, biosensors and biochips for the protection of the environment and the improvement of human health. See details in Vo-Dinh Research Group Webpage: http://www.vodinh.pratt.duke.edu
Olaf T. Von Ramm, Professor
Dr. von Ramm's research interests include diagnostic ultrasound imaging systems, IR imaging, medical instrumentation and their new applications.
Adam Wax, Associate Professor
Dr. Wax's research interests include optical spectroscopy for early cancer detection, novel microscopy and interferometry techniques.
Patrick D Wolf, Associate Professor
PhD, Duke University
Wolf's research is primarily in the area of advanced instrumentation for diagnosis and treatment of electrophysiological problems. This research covers two primary organ systems: the heart and the brain. In the heart, Dr. Wolf is developing an image guided ablation system for treatment of arrhythmias. In the brain, he is developing a fully implantable Brain-Machine interface.
Lingchong You, Assistant Professor
Dr. You's research interest focus on computational systems biology & synthetic biology, including mathematical modeling of cellular networks; mechanisms of information processing by gene networks; design, modeling and construction of robust gene networks for applications in engineering and medicine.
Fan Yuan, Associate Professor
Dr. Yuan's research interests include drug and gene delivery, mechanisms of molecular transport in cells and tissues, and tumor pathophysiology.

Professor of Practice:

J. Aura Gimm, Assistant Professor of the Practice
PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Robert A. Malkin, Professor of the Practice and Director of Engineering World Health
Professor Malkin's work on medical instrumentation in the developing world has been supported by Engineering World Health, The National Institutes of Health, The American Heart Association, The Whitaker Foundation, the National Science Foundation and other organizations.

Engineering World Health. is a unique study abroad program that allows undergraduates to study and work in developing world hospitals. Dr. Malkin and his associates have helped hospitals in Sudan, Nigeria, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Haiti, Liberia, Sierra Leone and many other places. The CUREs program has continued to promote the development of new non-profit corporations to improve healthcare in the developing world.

Secondary Faculty:

Robert L Clark, Thomas Lord Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Leslie M Collins, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Mark W Dewhirst, Professor (primary appt: Radiation Oncology)
Ph.D., Colorado State University
James T Dobbins III, Associate Professor (primary appt: Radiology, Medical Physics Graduate Program)
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
There are several research projects underway in my laboratory, focusing on the improvement of diagnostic accuracy in digital chest radiography and digital mammography. The first project uses a dual-energy digital radiography technique that forms images which have either the bones or soft-tissues canceled. By eliminating the ribs in the soft-tissue image, better accuracy in detecting nodules has been demonstrated in early clinical evaluations of the technique. The bone image is also useful in that it demonstrates whether a detected nodule is calcified, at a fraction of the cost and radiation exposure of sending the patient to CT. We have received six years of NIH grant funding to develop a practical screening method for nodular disease using the dual-energy technique. A second major area of research is digital tomosynthesis. This technique allows longitudinal slice images of a patient to be generated from a series of projection images taken at different angles. We are evaluating this technique for its potential to improve detection of pulmonary nodules. We have received seven years of NIH funding to develop and evaluate this technique. Preliminary evaluation in a pilot study using human subjects revealed that the detection rate for pulmonary nodules increased from about 22% to 70% in tomosynthesis slice images compared with conventional PA chest radiographs. Thus, the tomosynthesis technique would appear to hold promise as a method of improving both sensitivity and specificity of pulmonary nodule detection in vivo. We are also expanding this tomosynthesis work to evaluate its potential for improving detection of masses and calcifications in digital mammograms. Other projects include theoretical analysis of digital imaging performance and the measurement of image quality (DQE) in computed radiography and flat-panel systems.
Harold P Erickson, Professor (primary appt: Cell Biology)
Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University
Daniel J. Gauthier, Professor (primary appt: Physics)
Optics, University of Rochester
Prof. Gauthier is interested in a broad range of topics in the fields of nonlinear and quantum optics, biophysics, and nonlinear dynamical systems.

In the area of optical physics, his group is studying the fundamental characteristics of highly nonlinear light-matter interactions and is using this understanding to develop practical devices. Recently, they have been interested in tailoring the group velocity of laser-driven materials to achieve group velocities that are much greater than or much less than the speed of light in vacuum (so-called fast and slow light). They are measuring the speed at which information travels through fast- and slow-light media to test our understanding of the special theory of relativity, and they are transitioning the slow-light technology to telecommunications applications such as all-optical signal regeneration and processing. Another recent interest is the development of the world's most sensitive all-optical switch. Currently, they have observed switching with an energy density as low as a few hundred yoctoJoules per atomic cross-section, indicating that the switch should be able to operate at the single-photon level.

In the area of biophysics, his group is investigating the electrical activity of the heart from a nonlinear dynamics perspective. It is a multi-disciplinary effort consisting of faculty and students from the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics. They are developing techniques for controlling cardiac dynamics using real-time closed-loop feedback, with the long-term goal of realizing an implantable ultra-low-energy cardiac defibrillator for people at high risk of sudden cardiac death. They are also developing new experimental methods for characterizing the nonlinear response of cardiac tissue and using the resulting data to guide the development of mathematical models for describing the generation and propagation of electrical waves in the heart.

In the area of nonlinear dynamics, his group is interested in the control and synchronization of chaotic devices, especially optical and radio-frequency electronic systems. They are developing new methods for private communication of information using chaotic carriers, using chaotic elements for distance sensing (e.g., low-probability-of-detection radar), using networks of chaotic elements for remote sensing, and using chaotic elements for generating truly random numbers at high data rates.
Donald D Glower, Professor (primary appt: Thoracic Surgery)
M.D., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Farshid Guilak, Professor (primary appt: Orthopaedic Surgery)
Ph.D., Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Salim F Idriss, Assistant Professor (primary appt: Pediatrics - Cardiology)
M.D., Duke University School of Medicine
Ronald J Jaszczak, Professor (primary appt: Radiology, Medical Physics Program)
Ph.D., University of Florida
G. Allan Johnson, Professor (primary appt: Radiology, Diagnostic Physics)
PhD, Duke University
Ph.D., Duke University
I have spent the last thirty one years engaged in building and applying advanced imaging technologies ranging from work on the first CT scanner installed at Duke (1974) to installation of the world's first high filed (1.5 T) clinical MRI system (1983). I continue to serve the medical center in commissioning new imaging technologies. Since 1983 my research has focused on extending the resolution of magnetic resonance imaging from the clinical domain, typically with voxels of 1 x 1 x 1 mm to the microscopic domain required for basic research in small animal models with voxels 125,000X smaller. The Center for In Vivo Microscopy was founded in 1985 and continues today with generous support from the National Center for Research Resources (P41 RR005959). The Center currently supports 6 state-of-the-art imaging systems for small animal imaging: 3 MRI systems (2, 7, and 9.4 T), a micro x-ray system, a micro- CT system, and a microPET system. The Center has embarked on an aggressive program to expand these modalities into molecular imaging with support from NCI (R24 CA092656)
Bruce Klitzman, Assistant Research Professor (primary appt: Surgery-Plastic Max & Oral Surgery)
PhD, University of Virginia
Ph.D., University of Virginia
The primary basic science research interests of our laboratory are in the area of physiological mechanisms of maintaining substrate transport from blood to tissue. This broad topic covers studies on whole animals, such as rats and mice, as well as studies on whole organ, hemorheological, microvascular, cellular, ultrastructural, and molecular levels. The current projects include: 1) control of blood flow and flow distribution in the microcirculation; 2) the effects of synthetic and biologic implants on substrate transport to tissues; 3) the physiological adaptation of the microcirculation and mitochondria to chronic hypoxia, hyperoxia, or cold, and the subsequent alteration in oxygen transport; 4) mathematical modeling of tissue oxygen tension distribution and angiogenesis. 5) tissue engineering; combining isolated cells with biomaterials to form specialized composite structures for implantation, with particular emphasis on endothelial cell physiology and its alteration by isolation and seeding on biomaterials; 6) decreasing the thrombogenicity of synthetic blood vessels and improving their overall performance and biocompatibility; 7) the investigation of tissue damage resulting from abnormal perfusion (e.g., relative ischemia, anoxia, etc.) and therapies which minimize ischemic damage; 8) the abnormal development of tumor microcirculation and its effect on tumor oxygenation; 9) measurement of tissue blood flow and oxygenation as an indicator of tissue viability and functional potential; 10) development of biocompatible materials for soft tissue reconstruction or augmentation; 11) molecular and cellular effects of ultraviolet light on skin which can lead to cancer, and therapies which may minimize damage; 12) wound healing in bone and soft tissues, with special emphasis on the detection and treatment of infection and its effects on healing. 13) improving the outflow facility of ophthalmologic devices implanted to reduce elevated intraocular pressures found in patients with glaucoma. Future studies will continue to focus on improving the biocompatibility of biosynthetic implants. Additional new emphasis may be placed on investigating the effects of radiation on wound healing and methods of minimizing the consequences of radiation exposure. Specific collaborations with faculty in Biomedical Engineering include improving the biocompatibility of biosensors, surface modification of implanted devices, and transplanting endothelial cells onto small diameter synthetic vascular grafts.
Tod A Laursen, Professor (primary appt: Civil and Environmental Engineering) and Senior Associate Dean for Education
Joseph Y Lo, Assistant Research Professor (primary appt: Medical Physics Grad Program, Radiology)
Ph.D., Duke University
We seek to define the future of breast cancer imaging and diagnosis. To accomplish this lofty goal, we are pursuing two main projects, breast tomosynthesis and computer aided diagnosis. First, while mammography remains the gold standard in breast cancer screening, it has many well known limitations. Dr. Lo leads a team from the Duke Advanced Imaging Laboratories (see website above) which collaborates closely with Siemens Medical Solutions to evaluate and commercialize the Siemens full field digital mammography system. This system has now been approved by the FDA. Dr. Lo’s team is now focusing on digital tomosynthesis of the breast, a form of limited-angle tomography using a modified digital mammography system. Tomosynthesis can acquire a 3D image quickly, easily, and at the same dose as a conventional mammogram. Tomosynthesis will improve sensitivity of breast cancer diagnosis by helping radiologists to detect subtle lesions which would otherwise be obscured. In addition, tomosynthesis will also improve specificity since radiologists can better characterize benign cases and thus avoid unnecessary follow-up imaging studies and surgical procedures. For these reasons, tomosynthesis is the most exciting recent development in breast imaging, and the only technology that can actually replace mammography in the near future. Duke is now conducting clinical trials using the first ever Siemens breast tomosynthesis prototype. Second, for over a decade, we have been a leader in computer aided diagnosis (CAD), which is an interdisciplinary field combining elements of medical physics, engineering, statistics, and bioinformatics. We have developed automated detection algorithms which use computer vision techniques to localize suspicious mammographic lesions. We have also designed predictive models which use machine learning and statistical analysis in order to classify mammograms or sonograms as benign versus malignant. During these studies, we compiled one of the largest multi-institution breast cancer databases with approximately 5000 cases. In on-going research, we are building CAD detection systems for tomosynthesis, which will be necessary to help radiologists process the huge volume of 3D data. We are also studying a multi-modality decision fusion approach to breast cancer diagnosis which utilizes information from radiologist findings, clinical and history data, computer vision features, and proteomics/genomics.
David F Lobach, Associate Professor (primary appt: Community & Family Medicine)
M.D., Duke University School of Medicine
James R MacFall, Associate Professor (primary appt: Radiology, Medical Physics Program)
Ph.D., University of Maryland
Hisham Z. Massoud, Professor (primary appt: Electrical & Computer Engineering)
MOS Dielectrics: Technology, Physics, Modeling and Simulation. Ultrathin Oxide Growth Kinetics. Electrical Properties Of Ultrathin Oxides. Tunneling in Ultrathin Dielectrics (TUNNEL PISCES). Effects of Gate Tunneling Currents on the Performance of Future Generations of Static and Dynamic MOS Integrated Circuits. Nanoscale Device Physics, Modeling, Simulation, and Technology (with applications in biology, photonics, NEMS).
Srinivasan Mukundan, Assistant Professor (primary appt: Radiology - Neuroradiology, Medical Physics Program)
M.D., Emory University School of Medicine
David Needham, Professor (primary appt: Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science)
Miguel A Nicolelis, Professor (primary appt: Neurobiology, Center for Neuroengineering)
M.D., University of Sao Paulo (Brazil)
Loren W Nolte, Professor (primary appt: Electrical & Computer Engineering)
Ehsan Samei, Associate Professor (primary appt: Radiology, Medical Physics Graduate Progra)
Ph.D., University of Michigan
Sidney A Simon, Professor (primary appt: Neurobiology, Department of Anesthesiology)
Ph.D., Northwestern University
Allen W Song, Professor & Director (primary appt: Center for Brain Imaging & Analysis)
Ph.D., University of Wisconsin Medical School
Martin P Tornai, Associate Professor (primary appt: Radiology, Medical Physics Program (Primary Appt.))
PhD, UCLA School of Medcine
Ph.D., University of California at Los Angeles
Cynthia A Toth, Professor (primary appt: Ophthalmology)
MD, The Medical College of Pennsylvania
M.D., Medical College of Pennsylvania
Timothy G Turkington, Associate Professor (primary appt: Radiology - Nuclear Medicine, Medical Physics Program)
Ph.D., Duke University
Warren S. Warren, Professor (primary appt: Chemistry) and Director, Center for Molecular and Biomolecular Imaging
PhD, University of California, Berkeley
Our work focuses on the design and application of what might best be called novel pulsed techniques, using controlled radiation fields to alter dynamics. The heart of the work is chemical physics, and most of what we do is ultrafast laser spectroscopy or nuclear magnetic resonance. It generally involves an intimate mixture of theory and experiment: recent publications are roughly an equal mix of pencil- and-paper theory, computer calculations with our workstations, and experiments. Collaborations also play an important role, particularly for medical applications.
Michael R Zalutsky, Professor (primary appt: Department of Radiology, Medical Physics Program)
Ph.D., Washington University

Adjunct Faculty:

Richard L Goldberg, Adjunct Assistant Professor, UNC-Chapel Hill
PhD, Duke University
John C Neu, Adjunct Professor, Univ. of California-Berkeley
Doris A Taylor, Adjunct Professor, Univ. of Minnesota
Ph.D., University of Texas at Dallas

Research Faculty:

Laurence N Bohs, Assistant Research Professor
PhD, Duke University
Kimberly T. Carlson, Assistant Research Professor
Jun Chen, Assistant Research Professor
Cells of the immature nucleus pulposus (NP) are biologically active and may play an important role in regulating matrix biosynthesis during intervertebral disc (IVD) development and aging. The immature NP contains a large amount of notochordal cells that disappear with aging. Preliminary results suggest that cells derived from the notochordal cell-containing NP do not respond to physical stimuli and soluble mediators in the same manner as cells from the neighboring anulus fibrosus. These differences for the immature NP may be mediated by different receptor-matrix interactions that may be important in regulating the onset and progression of IVD aging and degeneration. We have recently developed a fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) protocol that identifies a population of notochordal-like NP cells with a unique molecular phenotype (i.e. unique integrin and mRNA expression pattern) distinct from that of smaller cells within the NP. We propose that cell-matrix interactions in the NP may be altered upon aging of this subpopulation of cells, a change that may contribute to decreases in cellularity and metabolism associated with IVD degeneration. The central hypothesis is that a change in the notochordal cell population with aging is associated with a dramatic alteration in the distribution of secreted proteins and cell surface receptors within the NP that regulates cell-matrix interactions and responses to environmental stimuli.
Jeremy J Dahl, Assistant Research Professor
Marcus H Henderson, Assistant Research Professor
Dr. Henderson's research interest has centered on reproductive health. He has designed and built an in vivo fluorimeter to assess the coating distribution of microbicides, a portable colposcope (screens for cervical cancer) for use in rural areas of developing countries, and a refractometer to identify the fertile interval of a woman's monthly cycle. Currently working with Professor Wax and Katz to develop a multi-spectral fluorimeter, low coherence interferometer, and a confocal microscope, all for in vivo use.
Wenge Liu, Assistant Research Professor
Roger W Nightingale, Associate Research Professor
Derek H Owen, Assistant Research Professor
Mark L Palmeri, Assistant Research Professor
Hui Zhu, Assistant Research Professor

Instructors:

Kevin M Caves, Director of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Communication Enhancement

Visiting Faculty:

Emeritus Faculty:

Howard G. Clark, Professor Emeritus
William E Hammond, Professor Emeritus
Ph.D., Duke University
James H. McElhaney, Hudson Professor and Professor of Orthopaedics
Robert Plonsey, Pfizer-Pratt Professorf Emeritus