Philipp Gutruf

Dr. Philipp Gutruf is an Assistant Professor in the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Arizona, where he develops wireless, battery-free implantable devices that integrate soft materials, photonics, and electronics for health diagnostics and neuroscience research. His work focuses on eliminating physical tethers in biomedical tools through capacitive energy harvesting and miniaturized optoelectronic systems, enabling chronic monitoring of neural dynamics and musculoskeletal systems in freely moving animal models. He has received multiple patents and awards, including the Craig M. Berge Faculty Fellow in 2020.

His research spans three primary domains:

• Wireless neuromodulation tools for neuroscience (optogenetic implants for rodents and songbirds)
• Biosymbiotic wearables for digital medicine (15-mile signal transmission, LoRa integration)
• Flexible bioelectronic platforms for cardiovascular applications (open thoracic implantation protocols, closed-loop pacing systems)

Recent publications highlight breakthroughs in ±20V wireless stimulation (2023), 15-mile biosignal telemetry (2023), and dorsal hippocampus pain modulation (2021). His group has developed osseosurface electronics (2021) for bone-integrated sensors and epidermal UV dosimeters (2017) with NFC capabilities. Teaching interests emphasize hands-on biomedical design education through courses like Medical Device Design (BME 310) and Research Methods in Biomedical Engineering (BME 592).