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Umut Gurkan, PhD

Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Case School of Engineering
Member
Cancer Prevention Control & Population Research Program
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center

Research Information

Research Interests

Dr. Gurkan's group works on gaining a fundamental understanding of hemoglobin, red blood cells, blood rheology, and microcirculation in health, in disease, with targeted interventions, and with gene-based therapies. Gurkan's research has led to new biomedical microtechnologies that improve patients’ access to timely diagnosis and personalized monitoring of emerging therapies. 

Awards and Honors

Faculty Early Career Development Award
2016
National Science Foundation, NSF CAREER
“Rising Star” Award, Biomedical Engineering Society
2016
Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering and Advanced Biomanufacturing Divisions
Glennan Fellowship
2015
CWRU University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education
MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35 Award - Turkey
2014
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Coulter-Case Translational Research Partnership Award
2014
Case Western Reserve University, Wallace H. Coulter Foundation
Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative Annual Pilot Award
2014
Case School of Engineering Research Award
2014
Case Western Reserve University
Doris Duke Innovations in Clinical Research Award
2013
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
Steve Garverick Memorial Innovation Incentive Award
2013
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Belcher-Weir Family Pediatric Innovation Award
2013
University Hospital Ventures
Wyss Award for Translational Research, IEEE-Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society
2011
The Wyss Institute
Partners in Excellence Award for Outstanding Community Contributions
2011
Massachusetts General Hospital
Geddes-Laufman-Greatbatch Outstanding Graduate Student Award
2009
Purdue University
Top Dissertation Proposal Award
2009
Purdue University

Publications

Lab website: Case Biomanufacturing and Microfabrication Laboratory

Google Scholar: T-pwPKsAAAAJ&hl 

Scopus: 24178384100 

Orcid: 0000-0002-0331-9960 

PubMed: gurkan ua

Additional Information

Umut A. Gurkan is the Warren E. Rupp Associate Professor at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Gurkan holds BS degrees in Chemical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering from Middle East Technical University in Turkey, and a PhD degree in Biomedical Engineering from Purdue University. He completed his Postdoctoral Training at Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology. Dr. Gurkan is leading the CASE Biomanufacturing and Microfabrication Laboratory at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Gurkan’s honors include: NSF CAREER Award, Biomedical Engineering Society “Rising Star” Award, Doris Duke Innovations in Clinical Research Award, Belcher-Weir Family Pediatric Innovation Award, Translational Research Featured New Investigator Award, MIT Technology Review Innovator under 35 Award (Turkey), IEEE-Wyss Award for Translational Research, Vodafone Wireless Innovation Award, USPTO Patents for Humanity Honorable Mention, and Geddes-Laufman-Greatbatch Award from Purdue University. Dr. Gurkan has authored over 70 peer-reviewed papers. Four of his patents have been licensed for commercialization by: DxNow Inc., Xatek Inc., BioChip Labs Inc., and Hemex Health Inc. One of these technologies is a microchip electrophoresis test for point-of-care screening of common hemoglobin disorders, commercialized under product name “Gazelle Hb VariantTM” by Hemex Health. Dr. Gurkan has led multi-site international clinical testing of this technology in the US and in low-and middle-income countries worldwide. Hemex  Health has received CE Mark in Europe and regulatory clearance in Africa and India for this product.