One might expect to find microelectronics inside a computer or other electronic device, but the human body? It may not be as farfetched—or as far off—as we think.
Syed Kamrul Islam, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, has won a five-year grant to help support his work in the fields of nanotechnology and monolithic sensors. Last year Islam was awarded a James McConnell Professorship, one of several gifts endowed by James W. McConnell, who received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from UT and who passed away in 2008.
“Receiving this professorship was a big honor,” says Islam. “It is a milestone in my career, and it gives me the encouragement to proceed with my research. It’s really an ecstatic feeling.”
He is using the grant to advance his work on several projects, including one involving implantable sensors that can keep tabs on a person’s vital signs.
“We’re looking at sensors that can be implanted in the human body to continuously monitor things like glucose levels and oxygen, which can help health professionals monitor a person’s condition in real time,” Islam says.
Islam is also working with several government agencies on environmentally focused sensor technologies. He has conducted research for NASA on sensors that would help monitor airborne pollutants inside of space stations, and has worked with the Office of Naval Research on sensors aimed at detecting water-based pollutants. For these projects Islam also works closely with UT’s Center for Environmental Biotechnology.
Islam has been at UT for more than thirteen years. He received his BS in electrical and electronic engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and his MS and PhD in electrical and systems engineering from the University of Connecticut.