A Bionic Pancreas for Type 1 Diabetes: The Long-Awaited Alternative to the Ever-Elusive Cure Presented by Edward Damiano, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering Edward R. Damiano is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Boston University College of Engineering, where he has taught since 2004. His expertise and training are in the areas of mechanical and biomedical engineering, applied mechanics, and applied mathematics. Professor Damiano has gained worldwide attention over the last decade for groundbreaking work in the treatment of Type 1 diabetes. Ever since his 15-year-old son, David, was diagnosed at 11 months of age, Professor Damiano has been committed to the development of a bionic endocrine pancreas – a device that mimics its namesake through a closed-loop, automatic control algorithm that manages blood sugar levels through the delivery of insulin and glucagon. Starting with a seed grant from the BU Coulter Translational Research Program in 2006, Professor Damiano has gone on to raise more than $14 million to support his research from a variety of sources, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He has tirelessly driven the designs of the experimental protocols and the clinical trials necessary to move the technology towards FDA approval and commercial availability. The device has been successfully used in trials by dozens of adults and children, and now includes a special iPhone app that assists patients in monitoring and controlling glucose levels and insulin needs. The author of dozens of seminal journal articles and seminars exploring endocrinology and biomechanics, Professor Damiano is a graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he also received his PhD in Applied Mechanics. He received his Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. In addition to his work at BU, he is an Associate Biomedical Engineer in the Division of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. November 12, 2014

• published: 18 Nov 2014
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