Faculty Directory

Ghodssi, Reza

Ghodssi, Reza

Herbert Rabin Distinguished Chair in Engineering
Former Director, Institute for Systems Research (2009-2017)
Executive Director of Research and Innovation
Fischell Institute Fellow
Electrical and Computer Engineering
The Institute for Systems Research
Maryland Energy Innovation Institute
Fischell Department of Bioengineering
Materials Science and Engineering
Brain and Behavior Institute
MATRIX Lab
Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices
2232 Kim Building

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'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 was director of the Institute for Systems Research (ISR) for eight years (2009-2017). During this time, he launched a number of interdisciplinary initiatives 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. These efforts include the launch of the Maryland Robotics Center (MRC) targeted at advancing robotic systems, underlying component technologies, and applications of robotics through research and educational programs that are interdisciplinary in nature and based on a systems approach. Dr. Ghodssi is the founding co-director of the Brain and Behavior Initiative (BBI) aiming at revolutionizing the interface between engineers and neuroscientists by generating novel tools and approaches to understand complex behaviors produced by the human brain. Dr. Ghodssi’s continuous efforts in reaching out to alumni and industry colleagues resulted in a large number of industry-sponsored monthly seminar series as well as annual fellowships for graduate students and post-doctoral associates to attend conferences and an active industry-oriented mentoring ecosystem in the Systems Engineering Education program 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. The TRF is a nonprofit organization in the United States whose mission is to stimulate research in science and engineering, with emphasis on technologies related to transducers, microsystems, and nanosystems, and to foster the exchange of ideas and information between academic, industrial, and government researchers.

Dr. Ghodssi's research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Army Research Office (ARO), National Science Foundation (NSF), and R.W. Deutsch Foundation. He served as a chairman of the MEMS and NEMS Technical Group at the American Vacuum Society (AVS) from 2002 to 2004. Dr. Ghodssi also served as the Technical Program Committee chair for the 2020 Solid-State Sensors, Actuators, and Microsystems Workshop (Hilton Head 2020) and the General Chair for the Hilton Head Workshop in 2022 (Hilton Head 2022). He was chair of the 9th International Workshop on Micro and Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion Applications (PowerMEMS 2009) and the 2012 NSF Workshop on Micro, Nano, Bio Systems. He also served as the Americas Technical Program Committee chair of IEEE SENSORS 2010, 2011 and 2012. He chaired the committee for the Denice Denton Emerging Leader ABIE Award sponsored by the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI) and Microsoft from 2007 until 2016. Dr. Ghodssi was also the lead organizer and chair of the inaugural Denice Denton Emerging Leaders Workshop 2016 held in Madison, Wisconsin, focused on helping mid-career faculty (women and men) develop knowledge, skills, strategies, and critical networks.

Dr. Ghodssi is a University of Maryland Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, a Fellow of IEEE, AVS, and ASME, has over 160 journal publications and 349 refereed conference papers, and is the co-editor of the MEMS Materials and Processes Handbook published in 2011. He is an associate editor for the Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems (JMEMS) and Biomedical Microdevices (BMMD). He has obtained eight U.S. patents, with another ten pending. Dr. Ghodssi received the 2001 UMD George Corcoran Award, the 2002 National Science Foundation CAREER Award, and the 2003 UMD Outstanding Systems Engineering Faculty Award. He was among 100 of the nation's outstanding engineers invited to attend the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium in 2007 and the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) EU-U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Symposium in 2010. Dr. Ghodssi was the co-founder of the MEMS Alliance in the greater Washington area and is a member of the MRS, ASEE and AAAS societies.

Honors and awards

Fellows

•    Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) (2015)

•    American Vacuum Society (2015)

•    American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) (2015)

 Young faculty awards

•    NSF CAREER Award (2002)

University of Maryland Awards

•    Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award, University of Maryland (2014-2015)

•    Outstanding Systems Engineering Faculty Award, Institute for Systems Research, University of Maryland (2003)

•    George Corcoran Award, ECE Department, University of Maryland (2001)

 

Design and development of microfabrication technologies and processes in micro/nano/bio devices and systems for chemical and biological sensing, small- scale energy conversion and harvesting with a strong emphasis toward healthcare applications.


Clark School Research Nominated for “Invention of the Year”

Localized Drug Delivery from Ingestible Devices is nominated as a 2023 finalist

New, Innovative UMD Course Teaches In-Demand Skills

‘Advanced Manufacturing Lab’ currently offered at College Park, will be in Southern Maryland in 2024

Alum Thomas Winkler receives prestigious ERC Starting Grant

Winkler will develop microchips to better understand diseases like schizophrenia

New ‘FRRB’ packaging technology may solve an ingestible capsule challenge

The innovation, which protects fragile components, has been published in the Nature journal Microsystems & Nanoengineering.

MSAL’s work on serotonin characterization and detection results in two journal covers

Research is leading to better detection models and portable sensing devices.

Maryland Engineers Awarded Grants to Address Humanity's Grand Challenges

Twelve projects led by or involving Maryland Engineering faculty have been awarded funding through the Grand Challenges Grants Program, the largest and most comprehensive program of its kind ever introduced at the University of Maryland.

Biofilm-fighting catheter insert research named 'featured article' in IEEE TBME

The research by Reza Ghodssi's research group also has led to a patent application.

Alum Thomas Winkler joins Technische Universität Braunschweig

He leads a junior research group that uses microsystems tools to solve life science challenges.

Chapin, Wang Named 2019-2020 Fischell Fellows

Both researchers are fifth-year Ph.D. students in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. 

Rapidly evolving ‘smart marble’ sensors hold promise for monitoring pharmaceutical industry bioreactors and beyond

Size of the neutrally buoyant bPods has dropped from ‘baseball’ to ‘golf ball’ to ‘cherry’ in just three years.

Ashley Chapin a campus-wide winner of the Three-Minute Thesis Competition

Chapin’s video, “Demystifying The Gut-Brain-Axis,” reflects her dissertation work.

Spurring research group creativity in the time of COVID-19

Student-faculty teams that write review articles for journals reap multiple benefits.

Institute Hosts AMBIC December Conference, Unveils New Research

AMBIC Industry Board members and other researchers convened to discuss new and ongoing projects.

NSF Awards $1M Grant to UMD Researchers

The interdisciplinary project will explore the molecular connection between the gut and the nervous system.

Ghodssi Receives Senior Faculty Outstanding Research Award

The award recognizes exceptionally influential research accomplishments by Clark School faculty.

NSF grant for Ghodssi, Bentley furthers research of flexible devices to combat biofilms

The researchers will combine applied microbiology with engineering disciplines to explore the complex interactions between flexible sensors, bacterial biofilms, and bioelectric treatment.

‘Smart Marbles’ hold promise for better outcomes from bioreactors

The marbles, or 'bPods,' will contain microsystems that can “eavesdrop on biology” during fermentation, cell or culture-growing processes.

Bridging the Gap between Microelectronics, Biological Systems

UMD researchers receive $1.5 M NSF grant to develop first-of-kind bioelectronics.

Schizophrenia drug monitoring device research featured on IEEE Sensors Letters cover

The paper culminates a four-year collaboration among Clark School, IBBR and University of Maryland School of Medicine researchers.

Clark School Researchers Recognized for Exceptional Inventions

Among the nine 2017 Invention of the Year award nominees, six are led by or include Clark School researchers.

Alumnus Thomas Winkler receives EU Fellowship

The Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship recognizes the potential of excellent, internationally mobile researchers.

New microsystems detect, treat bacterial biofilms that cause post-operative infections

'Flexible impedance sensor' can fit inside urinary catheters, monitor and treat biofilms.

Banis wins poster design award at Global Grand Challenges Summit

The event is jointly organized by the US National Academy of Engineering, the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Ghodssi, Bentley receive NSF EAGER grant to develop ingestible capsules for medical diagnosis

"Gut-Nav" capsules will be designed to detect problems in the gastro-intestinal tract, including pancreatic cancer and inflammatory bowel disease screening.

BIOE, Fischell Institute Faculty Make Strong Showing at Invention of the Year Awards

UMD honors exceptional inventions with potential to influence science, society, and the free market.

UMD Researchers Make Strides in Schizophrenia Diagnosis Research

Blood test could help doctors more quickly diagnose schizophrenia and other disorders.

Clark School students shine at AVS annual meeting

Winkler, Banis and Huiszoon receive awards and recognition for research and presentations.

Ghodssi Named AVS Fellow

BioE Affiliate, ECE Chair and Institute for Systems Research Director honored

Alum Sheryl Chocron-Spieler wins poster award at BMES/FDA Frontiers in Medical Devices Conference

Best runner up award for "Multi-Variate Modeling for Blood Measurement: Accounting for Population Variability."

Ph.D. candidate Thomas Winkler wins best poster award at MAMNA Symposium

Bioengineering student is affiliated with MEMS Sensors and Actuators Laboratory.

UMD Patents Compounds that Inhibit Biofilm Formation and Persistence

Patent awarded for compounds capable of fighting antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Maryland inventors issued US Patent for compounds that fight biofilms

The compounds enhance the effectiveness of conventional antibiotics and inhibit the formation and persistence of biofilms.

Reza Ghodssi elected Fellow of IEEE

Professor is recognized "for contributions to materials and processes for microsystems technologies."

UMD Researchers Bridge Gap between Microelectronics, Biological Systems

“Electronic modulation of biochemical signal generation” published in Nature Nanotechnology

Maryland Exchange with Italian University Boosts Research on Artificial Cells

Bioengineering grad student part of international effort to use messages sent by synthetic cells to guide natural cell activity.

Payne Honored with Guest Professorship

Wuhan University awards three-year appointment.

New Microfluidic Device Could Speed Drug Evaluation

Meyer wins Bioscience Day Poster division for work on device capable of separating, testing distinct areas of same biofilm.

Bentley, Mansy to Explore Living/Artificial Cell Communication

International collaboration funded by new Maryland partnership with Trento, Italy.

Preventing Costly, Life-Threatening Catheter Infections

Deutsch Foundation-sponsored Clark School research offers multi-pronged attack on major medical problem.

Systems Researchers Partner with Trento, Italy

Joint efforts to target bioengineering, renewable energy, nanomaterials, microsystems, education.

Bad Virus Put to Good Use: Breakthrough Batteries

Virally structured nano-electrodes boost energy capacity tenfold.

New Battery Research Highlighted by Discovery News, Nanowerk

Viruses used as structural template for lithium ion battery components.

Bentley Group Research Selected for Highlights in Chemical Technology

Paper covers monitoring and controlling bacterial communication.

BioE Affiliate, Collaborator Named Director of ISR

Ghodssi to take office October 1.

Culver Part of Winning Nanobiotech Grant Team

State of Maryland funds innovative fuel cell research.

Berlin Takes 2nd in Dean's M.S. Thesis Competition

New award honors outstanding research, scholarship.

Stephan Koev wins MEMS Alliance best poster award

Poster highlights research on optical microcantilever sensors for liquid samples.

Ghodssi Named Herbert Rabin Distinguished Professor

Dr. Reza Ghodssi is recognized for sustained and influential scientific and scholarly work.

Reza Ghodssi named associate editor of Journal of Biomedical Microdevices

Journal focuses on biomedical applications of micro- and nanotechnology.

Advance in Creating in Vitro Programmable Biological Microfactories

Research team includes Bentley, Ghossi, Payne, Rubloff.

Deutsch Named Professor of the Practice

RWD Technologies founder recognized for career, support of USM.

$2M NSF Grant for "Bacterial Communication"

Cellular and biomolecular engineering research to focus on biofunctionalized devices.

$1 Million For Nano-Bio Initiative

Deutsch Foudation will fund Clark School bioengineering research on the nanoscale.

Crab Nano-Sensor Detects Dangerous Substances

A material found in crab shells is part of a new sensor system.

  • Fellow, 2015

  • Fellow, 2015

  • Fellow, 2015