Past GEM Projects
Since the Galvanizing Engineering in Medicine (GEM) Program began in 2014, this initiative has funded 32 GEM Projects. The GEM initiative has resulted in 243 publications and poster presentations, 32 patents, 7 startup companies, and numerous new collaborations between engineers, clinical faculty, and industry. Read more about the past GEM projects below.
2022
A Novel Patient Specific Vaginal Dilator to Prevent Radiation Induced Vaginal Stenosis for Cervical Cancer
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Jyoti Mayadev |
Milan Makale |
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Karcher Morris |
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Frank E Talke |
Plant viruses against cancer
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Nicole Steinmetz |
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Ezra Cohen |
Multirate Tomography for Low Cost Diagnosis and Monitoring of Age Related Macular Degeneration
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Yeshaiahu Fainman |
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Dirk-Uwe Bartsch |
Epidermal haptic sensor for closed-loop meditation-based pain reduction
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Darren Lipomi |
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Fadel Zeidan |
Augmented Reality Navigation System for Pain Management Therapies
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Farshad Ahadian |
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Frank E Talke |
Development of a wearable wireless ultrasonic patch for continuous monitoring of diaphragm thickening fraction in respiratory failure patients
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Jinghong Li |
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Sheng Xu |
2021
Design of a non-nutritive suckling system for real-time characterization of suckling efficacy in neonates
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Vanessa P. Scott, MD, MS, FAAP; Principal Investigator Pediatrician, Assistant Professor Department of Pediatrics Email: vpscott@health.ucsd.edu |
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Erin H. Walsh, MA, CCC-SLP, IBCLC, BCS-S; Co-PI Speech-Language Pathologist Department of Otolaryngology, Division of Surgery, Center for Voice & Swallowing Email: ehwalsh@health.ucsd.edu |
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James Friend, Ph.D.; Co-PI Medically Advanced Devices Lab, Center for Medical Device Engineering and Biomechanics Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jacobs School of Engineering Professor, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine Email: jfriend@eng.ucsd.edu |
Spinothalamic Tract Stimulation for the Treatment of Chronic Pain
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Sharona Ben-Haim, MD Assistant Professor Department of Neurosurgery |
Shadi A. Dayeh, PhD Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Jacobs School of Engineering |
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Tony Yaksh, PhD Professor of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology UCSD School of Medicine |
Densitometric Blood Flow Quantification from Invasive Angiography
Principal Investigators: Francisco Contijoch, Ph.D.1,2 (fcontijoch@eng.ucsd.edu) Assistant Professor, Bioengineering Assistant Adjunct Professor of Radiology |
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Principal Investigators: Ryan Reeves, M.D.3 (rreeves@health.ucsd.edu) Associate Clinical Professor, Medicine Radiology |
Participating Investigators: Brendan Colvert, Ph.D.1 (bcolvert@eng.ucsd.edu) Cardiology
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2020
MSight: Joint development of a mobile, head-mounted EEG/EOG brain computer interface to concurrently capture afferent and efferent visual dysfunction in people with MS
A 3D Printed Clip that Converts Average Smartphones into Blood Pressure Monitors with No Additional Electronics
School of Engineering School of Medicine School of Medicine Electrical and Computer Engineering Geriatrics and Gerentology Infectious Disease and Public Health
COVID-19 Rapid Response Awards
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, GEM provided COVID-19 Rapid Response Awards to projects addressing the novel coronavirus. The GEM COVID-19 Rapid Response Awards funded projects are listed below. Read more about the COVID-19 Rapid Response Projects.
Vacuum-Exhausted Isolation Locker (VEIL) to Facilitate Treatment of Respiratory Compromise from COVID-19 Infection


Customized Wearable Wireless Multimodal Sensor for Continuous and Remote Monitoring of COVID-19 Patients


Immunomodulatory Extracellular Matrix Hydrogels for Treating COVID-19 Lung and Systemic Inflammation
Mobile Tele-Health Robot System to Improve Healthcare Safety and Patient Well-Being
School of Engineering School of Medicine School of Medicine UCSD Health
Computer Science and Engineering Emergency Medicine Pediatrics
Ventricular Arrhythmia Risk Assessment following COVID-19 Infection
School of Medicine School of Medicine School of Medicine School of Medicine
Ventricular Arrhythmia Risk Assessment following COVID-19 Infection
School of Engineering School of Medicine School of Medicine School of Medicine
School of Medicine School of Medicine School of Medicine School of Medicine
2019
Real-time monitoring of phage therapy pharmacodynamics
Point-of-Care Electrochemical Immunoassay for TB Diagnosis
Understanding of the Pathophysiology of Wounds from peripheral artery disease (PAD) in Chronic kidney disease (CKD)

Personalized assessment of left atrial thrombosis risk by computational fluid dynamics
Development of an Injectable Biomaterial for Dysphagia Rehabilitation
A Demixable Adherence-independent Non-contact In-bed Sensor for Heart Failure Biomarkers
Read more about the 2019 GEM award recipients here.
2018
Electricidal Urinary Catheter–Preventing Spread of Infectious Diseases within the Urinary Tract
Developing Methods to Optimize Accuracy, Efficiency, and Safety in Telerobotic Surgery
Reengineering Monocytes from Peripheral Blood for Immunotherapy Targeting Pancreatic Cancer
Next-generation Spinal Cord Neuro-electronic Interface Implant for the Potential Treatment of Paralysis
Read more about the 2018 GEM award recipients here.
2017
Development of a Magnetic Nanosensor-based Assay for Real-time Non-invasive Quantification of Protein and Nucleic Acid Biomarkers in Preterm Birth—Point-of-care Testing for Early Identification of Patients at Risk for Pregnancy Complications
Low-dose CT-based Method for Detection of Subclinical Anthracycline-induced Cardiotoxicity
Steerable Tip Microcatheter Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms
Optical Pressure Sensor for Measuring Intraocular Pressure for Keratoprosthesis Patients and Glaucoma Patients
Read more about the 2017 GEM award recipients here.
2016
Compressed Sensing Image Acquisition and Processing for Single Photon Emission Tomograph
Disposable, 3-D Printable Endoscope
Injectable Biomaterial for Treating Pelvic Floor Disorders
Battery-free Wireless Wearable Sensors for Sleep Monitoring
Read more about the 2016 GEM award recipients here.
2015
Micropower Integrated Nano-engineered Retinal Interface
Solution: Development of Patient-specific Indices of Left-ventricular Blood Stasis by Echocardiographic Imaging and Analyses of Intraventricular Flow
Development of a Non-Invasive Quantitative Tool to Detect and Localize Human Ventricular Fibrillation Mechanisms
Continuous and Direct Intraocular Pressure Monitoring via Fluid-sensitive 3D Photonic Crystal Implants
Read more about the 2015 GEM award recipients here.
2014
Smartphone-Based Biosensor to Monitor pH and Pulmonary Exacerbation Biomarkers in Patients with CF
Molecular Biosensors and Machineries for the Engineering and Imaging of T Cell Activities for Immunotherapy for Multiple Myeloma
Read more about the 2014 GEM award recipients here.