All Faculty

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Department Chair:
  • Ashutosh Chilkoti, Theo Pilkington Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Director of Graduate Studies
    Ph.D., University of Washington
    Chilkoti's research focuses on biomolecular materials and biointerface science and emphasizes the development of applications that span the range from bioseparations, biosensors, patterned biomaterials, and targeted drug delivery.

Primary Faculty:
  • Roger C. Barr, Anderson-Rupp Professor
    PhD, Duke University

    Dr. Barr's research interests include bioelectricity and biomedical computing.

  • Nenad Bursac, Associate Professor
    PhD, Boston University
    Bursac's research interests include embryonic and adult stem cell therapies for heart and muscle disease. Cardiac and skeletal muscle tissue engineering. Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias. Genetic modifications of stem and somatic cells. Micropatterning of proteins and hydrogels.

  • Charles A. Gersbach, Assistant Professor
    Dr. Gersbach’s research interests are in gene therapy, biomolecular and cellular engineering, regenerative medicine, and synthetic biology.

  • Warren M Grill, Addy Family 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 treatment of chronic pain.

  • Brenton D Hoffman, Associate Professor in the Department
    Dr. Hoffman’s research focuses on understanding, on a molecular level, how mechanical and chemical cues from the environment are detected, integrated, and manipulated by cells to dictate physiological and patho-physiological responses important in vascular biology.

  • David F. Katz, Nello L. Teer, Jr. 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.

  • Gabriel P. Lopez, Professor (joint with Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science)
    Prof. Lopez' professional interests lie in research and education in biomaterials science and engineering, bioanalytical chemistry and biointerfacial phenomena.

  • Barry S. Myers, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., Professor of Biomedical Engineering, with appointments in Surgery, Business, and Anatomy and Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Research Commercialization
    Dr. Myers is an expert in head and neck impact injury biomechanics. He is also interested in translational research innovation overseeing programs to advance faculty research to market.

  • Wanda K. Neu, Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies
    Ph.D., Duke University
    Research Interests: Electroporation-mediated drug delivery and gene therapy; Control of cardiac arrhythmias using nonlinear dynamics

  • Kathryn R. Nightingale, James L. and Elizabeth M. Vincent Associate Professor
    Nightingale's research interests include: ultrasonic and elasticity 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 prostate imaging, abdmoninal imaging, image-guided therapies, and the bioeffects of ultrasound.

  • Nimmi Ramanujam, Robert W. Carr, Jr., Distinguished Professor
    Innovating on optical strategies to peer into the biological landscape of thick tissues. Technologies being developed in her lab leverage principles of optical spectroscopy, optical sectioning microscopy, and molecular imaging. Her research group is developing and applying these optically based tools for three problems in cancer: cancer screening in resource-limited settings, intra-operative margin assessment to detect residual disease during cancer surgery, and visualizing tumor hypoxia and metabolism in the context of cancer therapy and drug discovery. Prof. Ramanujam is leading a multi-disciplinary effort to translate these technologies to clinical applications in the breast, and cervix.

  • Amanda Randles, Assistant Professor
    Ph.D., Harvard University

  • William M. Reichert, Alan L. Kaganov Professor and Associate Dean for Diversity and Ph.D. Education
    Reichert's research interests include biosensors, protein mediated cell adhesion, and wound healing.

  • Xiling Shen, Associate Professor
    Dr. Shen’s research integrates systems biology and implantable devices to study non-coding RNA, colon cancer, stem cells, and the enteric nervous system. His multidisciplinary approach provides a new window for developing novel therapeutics against heterogeneous diseases such as cancer.

  • Stephen W. Smith, Professor Emeritus
    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.

  • Marc A. Sommer, W. H. Gardner, Jr. Associate Professor
    Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Dr. Marc Sommer studies neuronal circuits of the brain. Research in his laboratory involves recording from single neurons and studying the effects of inactivating or stimulating well-defined brain areas. His goals are to understand how individual areas process signals and how multiple areas interact to cause cognition and behavior. Results from the work are guiding the design of vision-based models and robots.

  • Gregg E. Trahey, Robert Plonsey Distinguished Professor
    Trahey's research interests include medical ultrasound, image guided surgery, adaptive imaging, imaging of tissue's mechanical properties, and radiation force imaging.

  • George A. Truskey, R. Eugene and Susie E. Goodson Professor and Senior Associate Dean for Research
    Dr. Truskey's research interests include cardiovascular tissue engineering, mechanisms of atherogenesis, cell adhesion, and cell biomechanics.

  • Jonathan Viventi, Hawkins Family Associate Professor
    Dr. Viventi’s research uses flexible electronics to create new technology for interfacing with the brain at high resolution over large areas. These new tools can help diagnose and treat neurological disorders such as epilepsy, and help improve the performance of brain machine interfaces.

  • Tuan Vo-Dinh
    Ph.D., Swiss Federal Institute of Technology-ETH Zurich (Switzerland)
    See details in Vo-Dinh Research Group Webpage: http://www.vodinh.pratt.duke.edu

  • Olaf T. Von Ramm, Thomas Lord Professor
    Dr. von Ramm's research interests include diagnostic ultrasound imaging systems, IR imaging, medical instrumentation and their new applications.

  • Adam P. Wax, Theodore Kennedy Professor and Director of Master's Studies
    Ph.D., Duke University
    Dr. Wax's research interests include optical spectroscopy for early cancer detection, novel microscopy and interferometry techniques.

  • Patrick D. Wolf, Associate Professor
    Ph.D., 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, 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, 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:
  • 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. The DHT-Lab runs educational programs such as the EWH Summer Institute and formal classes and provides research and product development opportunities for undergraduates interested in developing world healthcare technology.

    Engineering World Health Summer Institute 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. If you came to this site looking for high school programs, consider visiting the Global Public Service Academies a non-Duke program run by Dr. Malkin.

Secondary Faculty:
  • April S. Brown, John Cocke Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Sr. Associate Dean for Research

  • Louis E Defrate, Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery (joint with Orthopaedics)
    D.Sc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  • Mark W. Dewhirst, Professor (joint with Radiation Oncology)
    Ph.D., Colorado State University at Fort Collins
    Dr. Dewhirst’s research interests focus on the tumor microenvironment and how it influences treatment responses. Areas of particular focus are hypoxia, acidosis, angiogenesis and oxidative stress.

  • James T. Dobbins, Associate Professor (joint with Radiology, Medical Physics Graduate Program)
    Ph.D., University of Wisconsin - Madison

  • Bastiaan Driehuys, Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering
    Ph.D., Princeton University
    Driehuys' laboratory focuses on the development and application of hyperpolarized gas MRI for non-invasive imaging of pulmonary function and spectroscopic evaluation of pathology. We seek to improve the care of patients with pulmonary disease by developing non-invasive, 3D imaging of pulmonary function.

  • Harold P. Erickson, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Cell Biology (joint with Cell Biology)
    Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University
    Erickson's lab works on extracellular matrix and cytoskeleton, with an emphasis on protein biochemistry and structure.

  • Sina Farsiu, Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology and Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
    M.S., University of Tehran (Iran)
    Farsiu's research focuses on medical imaging and image processing to improve the overall health and vision outcome of patients with ocular and neurological diseases (e.g., age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, Alzheimer, and ALS) through earlier and personalized therapy.

  • Geoffrey S Ginsburg, Professor of Medicine and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Medicine and Director of the IGSP Center for Genomic Medicine
    M.D., Boston University

  • Salim F. Idriss, Associate Professor (joint with Pediatrics - Cardiology)
    M.D., Duke University

  • G. Allan Johnson, Professor (joint with Radiology, Diagnostic Physics)
    Ph.D., Duke University
    Dr. Johnson's research involves magnetic resonance histology (MRH), the application of MR microscopy to study tissue architecture. Using MRH for morphologic phenotyping in the mouse was first suggested by Dr. Johnson and his colleagues in this article (Radiology 2002;222:789 –793 2002). A publication of our Waxholm Space (WHS) atlas of the C57BL mouse brain was created in conjunction with the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF) digital brain atlasing program (http://software.incf.org/software/waxholm-space) to be the center of a digital atlasing architecture to share mouse brain data with the scientific research community.

  • Bruce M. Klitzman, Assistant Research Professor (joint with 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.

  • Joseph Lo, Associate Research Professor (joint with Medical Physics Grad Program, Radiology)
    Ph.D., Duke University
    The lab focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of cancer using advanced imaging techniques. There are 3 main projects: breast tomosynthesis, computer aided diagnosis, and improved treatment planning for radiation therapy. First, Dr. Lo leads a team from the Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories (see website above) in collaboration with Siemens Healthcare to develop breast tomosynthesis. Tomosynthesis is a form of limited-angle tomography using a modified digital mammography system and 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 visualize false alarms 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. Finally, we are extending CAD techniques from radiology toward the problem of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), specifically to improve treatment planning for prostate and head & neck cancer. Our goal is to improve the efficiency and safety of treatment plans.

  • David F. Lobach, Assoicate Consulting Professor (joint with Community & Family Medicine)
    M.D., Duke University

  • Piotr E. Marszalek, Professor (joint with Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science)
    Ph.D., Electrotechnical Institute (Poland)

  • Miguel A. Nicolelis, Professor (joint with Neurobiology, Center for Neuroengineering)
    Ph.D., University of Sao Paulo (Brazil)
    Dr. Nicolelis investigates how the brains of freely behaving animals encode sensory and motor information. He was first to propose and demonstrate that animals and human subjects can utilize their electrical brain activity to directly control neuroprosthetic devices via brain-machine interfaces (BMI).

  • Angel V. Peterchev, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
    Ph.D., University of California at Berkeley
    I direct the Brain Stimulation Engineering Lab (BSEL) which focuses on the development and modeling of devices and application paradigms for transcranial brain stimulation. Transcranial brain stimulation involves non-invasive delivery of fields (e.g., electric and magnetic) to the brain that modulate neural activity. Transcranial brain stimulation is increasingly used as a tool for brain research and a therapeutic intervention in neurology and psychiatry. My lab works closely with neuroscientists and clinicians to translate novel brain stimulation technology and optimize existing techniques. For example, we have developed a device for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) that allows extensive control over the magnetic pulse parameters. We are currently deploying this device to optimize the magnetic stimulus in neuromodulatory TMS paradigms. We are also developing efficient algorithms for response estimation and individualization of brain stimulation. Another line of work is finite element computational modeling of the fields induced in the brain by electric and magnetic stimulation. My lab is involved in the integration of transcranial brain stimulation with imaging modalities such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG), as well as the evaluation of the safety of device–device interactions, for example between transcranial stimulators and implants like deep-brain stimulation (DBS) systems. I also collaborate on projects related to circuit design and control of electrical energy converters.

  • Ehsan Samei, Professor (joint with Radiology, Medical Physics Graduate Progra)
    Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

  • Guillermo Sapiro, Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. Professor (joint with Electrical & Computer Engineering)
    D.Sc., Israel Institute of Technology (Israel)

  • Allen W. Song, Professor & Director (joint with Center for Brain Imaging & Analysis)
    Ph.D., University of Wisconsin at Madison
    Song's research program is centered on high-resolution MRI methodological development to best depict and detect human brain structure and function.

  • William D Stamer, Professor of Ophthalmology and Joseph A.C. Wadsworth Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology
    Ph.D., University of Arizona
    The Mechanobiology of Ocular Hypertension in Glaucoma: My laboratory studies the disease of glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness in the United States, affecting nearly 3 million people (70 million Worldwide). The primary risk factor for developing glaucoma is ocular hypertension (high intraocular pressure, IOP). IOP is a function of aqueous humor moving into and out of the eye. Elevated IOP in glaucoma is a result of disease in the primary efflux route, the "pressure-sensitive" conventional outflow pathway. Controlling IOP in glaucoma patients, whether or not they have ocular hypertension, is important because large clinical trials involving tens of thousands of patients repeatedly demonstrate that significant, sustained IOP reduction slows or halts vision loss. Unfortunately, current daily medical treatments do not target the diseased conventional pathway and do not lower IOP sufficiently in most people with glaucoma. Therefore, finding new, more effective ways to control IOP by targeting the conventional pathway is a central goal the Stamer Laboratory. Using molecular, cellular, organ and living model systems, my laboratory seeks to better understand the mechanobiology of conventional outflow with the ultimate goal to identify and validate targets in the conventional outflow pathway such that novel treatments for ocular hypertension and glaucoma can be developed. We study the dynamic mechanical behavior of the conventional outflow cells and tissues using a variety of approaches including optical coherence tomography, atomic force microscopy, cellular dielectic spectroscopy, ocular perfusions, mechanical stretch and contractility assays.

  • Cynthia A. Toth, Professor (joint with Ophthalmology)
    MD, The Medical College of Pennsylvania
    M.D., Drexel University

  • Warren S. Warren, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Director, Center for Molecular and Biomolecular Imaging
    Ph.D., 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, Department of Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Biomedical Engineering and Jonathan Spicehandler M.D. Professor of Neuro-Oncology Research, (joint with Department of Radiology, Medical Physics Program)
    Ph.D., Washington University

  • Stefan Zauscher, Sternberg Family Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Alfred M. Hunt Faculty Scholar and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Director of Graduate Studies
    Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison

Adjunct Faculty:
  • Srinivasan Mukundan, Associate Professor and Professor, Harvard Medical School
    M.D., Emory University School of Medicine

  • Allan B. Shang, Adjunct Assistant Professor
    M.D., University Of Vermont
    My current research interests include the investigation into current and experimental biosensors, including the use of lasers and photonic techniques to create the next generation of miniaturized biosensors and analytical devices. I am interested in biomedical devices of all types, including the standardization and refinement of pulse oximeters, and the in-vivo measurement of a multitude of different substances in the peripheral circulation using novel applications of nanotechnology. Bioterrorism and countermeasures are a general interest of mine, along with biomaterials and their applications in my other research interests. Lastly, I am interested in the development and commercialization process for biomedical products, and hope to facilitate the flow of ideas between the academic and commercial worlds.

  • Blake S. Wilson, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Surgery and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences
    Wilson is interested in the design of cochlear implants and other neural prostheses for restoration of sensory functions. The design includes considerations of processing in the brain (the receiver) as well as processing in the periphery (the transmitter).

Research Faculty:
  • Michael D Lynch, Assistant Research Professor
    M.D., University of Colorado, School of Medicine
    Dr. Lynch’s research focuses on genetically engineering microbes to shut off their growth circuits and turn on new pathways to produce different compounds. By focusing their energy, he seeks to improve production of biofuels, pharmacological molecules and industrial chemicals.

  • Mark L. Palmeri, Professor of the Practice in the Department
    Dr. Palmeri's research interests include ultrasonic imaging, specifically using acoustic radiation force to characterize the mechanical properties of tissue, and finite element analysis of soft tissue response to impulsive radiation force excitation. Other research interests include ultrasonic bioeffects and mechanical testing of soft tissues.

  • Lisa L Satterwhite, Associate Research Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
    Satterwhite studies the genomics and epigenetics of environmental exposures in populations with clear health disparity. Her group identified the first genomic signature for pesticide exposure and is developing simple blood tests to diagnose early stage asymptomatic neurodegenerative disease and cancer, including Parkinson’s disease and pancreatic cancer.

Instructors:Emeritus Faculty:
  • Morton H. Friedman, Emeritus 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.

  • James H. McElhaney, Professor Emeritus and Professor of Orthopaedics

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