Reza Ghodssi

Background

Reza Ghodssi is the Herbert Rabin Distinguished Chair in Engineering and Director of the MEMS Sensors and Actuators Lab (MSAL) in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and the Institute for Systems Research (ISR) at the University of Maryland (UMD). He is also affiliated with the Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE), the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices (Fischell Institute), the Maryland NanoCenter, the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute (MEII), and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at UMD. Dr. Ghodssi is the Inaugural Executive Director of Research and Innovation for the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland (USMSM), MATRIX Lab (MATRIX). Dr. Ghodssi’s research interests are in the design and development of micro/nano/bio devices and systems for chemical and biological sensing, small-scale energy conversion and harvesting with a strong emphasis toward healthcare applications. Dr. Ghodssi also served as the director of the Institute for Systems Research (ISR) for eight years (2009-2017). During this time, he launched a number of interdisciplinary initiatives such as the Maryland Robotics Center (MRC) and the Brain and Behavior Initiative (BBI), where he served as the founding co-director for six years (2015-2021), aimed at enhancing the impact of ISR research efforts on society while building a more interactive faculty, staff, and student community across different disciplines in the institute. Dr. Ghodssi served as the President-elect of the Transducer Research Foundation (TRF) from 2020 until 2022. Since June 2022, he has been serving as the new President of TRF. Dr. Ghodssi is a University of Maryland Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, a Fellow of IEEE, AVS, and ASME, has 175 journal publications and 372 refereed conference papers/abstracts, and is the co-editor of the MEMS Materials and Processes Handbook published in 2011. He served as an associate editor for Biomedical Microdevices (BMMD) for thirteen years (2008-2021) and also served as editor of the Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems (JMEMS) for twelve years (2008-2020). Also, Dr. Ghodssi is the guest associate editor of the IEEE Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems “Special Proceeding” of the Hilton Head 2020 Workshop (October 2020). He has nine U.S. patents issued, ten U.S. patents published, with another eight pending.

Education

University of Wisconsin-Madison:

• Doctor of Philosophy in Electrical Engineering, December 1996
  Major area: Microelectronics and Solid State Physics
  Advisor: Professor Denice D. Denton
  Dissertation: Design, Fabrication and Testing of a MEMS-Based Tangential Tactor
  Minor area: Mechanical Engineering
  Minor advisor: Professor Ali A. Seireg
• Master of Science in Electrical Engineering, December 1992
  Advisor: Professor Denice D. Denton
  Thesis: A Study of Rolling Friction in Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS)
• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, August 1990

Research

View recent research projects

Honors and Awards

• American Vacuum Society (AVS) Gaede-Langmuir Award, 2024
• Invention of the Year Finalist, Life Sciences, University of Maryland, 2024
• A. J. Clark School of Engineering Senior Faculty Outstanding Research Award, University of Maryland, 2019
• Jimmy H. C. Lin Award for Invention, University of Maryland, 2018
• Invention of the Year Award, Life Sciences, University of Maryland, 2017
• Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, “125 People of Impact,” in recognition of significant contributions to the department, university and industry, University of Wisconsin, 2016
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Fellow, 2015
• American Vacuum Society (AVS) Fellow, 2015
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Fellow, 2015
• Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, University of Maryland, 2014
• Herbert Rabin Distinguished Chair in Engineering, University of Maryland, 2012
• Best Paper Award, INCOSE Conference, 2012
• National Academy of Engineering (NAE) EU-U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, 2010
• Herbert Rabin Distinguished Professor, University of Maryland, 2008
• National Academy of Engineering (NAE) U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, 2007
• Best Paper Award, IPRM Conference, 2005
• Outstanding Systems Engineering Faculty Award, University of Maryland, 2003
• CAREER Award, National Science Foundation, 2002
• George Corcoran Award, University of Maryland, 2001
• Vilas Graduate Fellowship, University of Wisconsin, 1995-96
• Graduate Research Award, American Vacuum Society (AVS), 1995

Select Publications

2025

• A. G. Siavashani, M. Rehan, J. Travas-Sejdic, D. Thomas, E. Diller, J. Stine, R. Ghodssi, and E. Avci, “Ingestible Smart Capsules for Chemical Sensing in the Gut,” Analytical Chemistry, vol. 97, issue 10, pp. 5343-5354, March 2025, doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c04683.
• B. M. Holt, J. M. Stine, L. A. Beardslee, H. Ayansola, Y. Jin, P. J. Pasricha, and R. Ghodssi, “An Ingestible Bioimpedance Sensing Device for Wireless Monitoring of Epithelial Barriers,” Nature Microsystems and Nanoengineering, 11 (24), February 2025, doi.org/10.1038/s41378-025-00877-8.
• S. Pathak, N. Peña-Flores, P. Alvarez, J. Feeley, R. Ghodssi, W. Losert, and J. Herberholz, “Interactions Between CNS Regulation and Serotonergic Modulation of Crayfish Hindgut Motility,” Journal of the Royal Society Interface, RSOS-250094, accepted, January 2025.

2024

• A. Levy, M. A. Straker, J. M. Stine, L. A. Beardslee, and R. Ghodssi, “Magnetically Triggered Ingestible Capsule for Localized Microneedle Drug Delivery,” Device, vol 2. issue 10, No. 100438, October 2024, doi.org/10.1016/j.device.2024.100438.
• K. Pathirage, A. Virmani, A. Scott, R. Traub, R. Ernst, R. Ghodssi, B. Babadi, and P. Abshire, “Interpretable dimensionality reduction and classification of mass spectrometry imaging data in a visceral pain model via non-negative matrix factorization,” PLoS ONE, 19(10): e0300526. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0300526.
• S. N. Overton, J. Han, M. A. Straker, J. A. Levy, J. M. Stine, T. Ho, J. Herberholz, and R. Ghodssi, “Serotonin Sensing Technologies to Promote Understanding of the Gut-Brian Axis,” IEEE Sensors Letters, Special Issue: Sensor Technologies to Improve Our Understanding of Complex Behavior, vol. 8, No. 6, Article No. 4500804, June 2024, doi: 10.1109/LSENS.2024.3394236.
• J. Han, T. Ho, J. M. Stine, S. N. Overton, J. Herberholz, and R. Ghodssi, “Simultaneous Dopamine and Serotonin Monitoring in Freely Moving Crayfish Using a Wireless Electrochemical Sensing System,” ACS Sensors, May 2024, doi.org/10.1021/acssensors.3c02304.

2023

• J. M. Stine, K. L. Ruland, L. A. Beardslee, J. A. Levy, H. Abianeh, S. Botasini, P. J. Pasricha, R. Ghodssi, “Miniaturized Capsule System Toward Real-Time Electrochemical Detection of H2S in the Gastrointestinal Tract,” Advanced Healthcare Materials, 2302897, November 2023, doi:10.1002/adhm.202302897.
• M. A. Straker, J. A. Levy, J. M. Stine, V. Borbash, L. A. Beardslee, and R. Ghodssi, “Freestanding Region Responsive Bilayer for Functional Packaging of Ingestible Devices,” Microsystems and Nanoengineering, 61 (9), May 2023, doi: 10.1038/s41378-023-00536-w.
• A. A. Chapin, J. Han, and R. Ghodssi, “Adsorption Kinetic Model Predicts and Improves Reliability of Electrochemical Serotonin Detection,” Methods and Protocols, 6 (1), 6, January 2023, doi: 10.3390/mps6010006.
• J. Han, J. M. Stine, A. A. Chapin, and R. Ghodssi, “A Portable Electrochemical Sensing Platform for Serotonin Detection Based on Surface-Modified Carbon Fiber Microelectrode,” Analytical Methods, vol. 15, No. 9, pp. 1089-1242, January 2023, doi: org/10.1039/D2AY01627C.

2022

• J. A. Levy, M. A. Straker, J. M. Stine, L. A. Beardslee, V. Borbash, and R. Ghodssi, “Thermomechanical Soft Actuator for Targeted Delivery of Anchoring Drug Deposits to the GI Tract,” Advanced Materials Technologies, 8 (2), No. 2201365, December 2022, doi: org/10.1002/admt.202201365.

2021

• D. Brown, S. Chu, M. Kappagantu, R. Ghodssi, and J. N. Culver, “Reprogramming the Tobacco Mosaic Virus Coat Protein Carboxylate Interactions with pH and Salt Responsive Assembly Behaviors,” Biomacromolecules, April 2021, doi: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c00258.
• C. Huiszoon, S. Chu, J. M. Stine, L.A. Beardslee, and R. Ghodssi, “Integrated System for Bacterial Detection and Biofilm Treatment on Indwelling Urinary Catheters,” IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 68, no. 11, pp. 3241-3249, November 2021, doi: 10.1109/TBME.2021.3066995.
• R. Malik, D. A. Rasko, and R. Ghodssi, “Use of Antimicrobial-Coated Catheters in Preventing Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infections and Bacteriuria: A Meta-Analysis for Clinicians,” Urology Practice, vol. 8, no. 6, pp. 711, November 2021, doi:10.1097/UPJ.0000000000000254.01.

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