Umut A. Gurkan, Ph.D., is the Wilbert J. Austin Professor of Engineering with tenure at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). Dr. Gurkan is a co-founder and the Director of Technology at BioChip Labs, overseeing the translation and commercialization of BioChip technologies invented in his lab at CWRU.
Dr. Gurkan is a leading expert in microfluidic and point-of-care technology development and translation with a focus on global equitable access and personalized health. Dr. Gurkan has authored over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles. His research has been supported by the NSF, NIH, DoD, non-profit organizations, and several industrial partners.
Dr. Gurkan’s inventions have led to 13+ issued US patents and four successful biotechnology companies to date with products in global markets. Dr. Gurkan’s innovations won numerous awards, including USPTO Patents for Humanity recognition and US FDA Breakthrough Device Designation.
Dr. Gurkan is a member of the Global Gene Therapy Initiative, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Biomedical Engineering Society, and American Society of Hematology. Dr. Gurkan is a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), a member of the New Voices in Science, Engineering and Medicine Program by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), and a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).