Christopher Puleo

Christopher Puleo is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) since 2024, with dual affiliation at the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS). Prior to returning to academia, he spent 14 years at General Electric Research, rising to Senior Principal Engineer in the Bioelectronic Medicine Program where he led translational projects from concept to clinical validation.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University (2003-2009)
• B.Sci. in Biomedical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1999-2003)

Professor Puleo's research pioneers bioelectronic medicine through ultrasound neuromodulation, targeting inflammatory pathways in diabetes, IBD, and pulmonary hypertension. His work uniquely bridges neural engineering and clinical medicine by using non-invasive focused ultrasound to modulate organ-specific neural circuits. Complementing this, his earlier microfluidics research developed rapid pathogen detection platforms that reduce diagnostic timelines from days to minutes.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2021-2024) reveals a strong translational trajectory: 60% focus on therapeutic ultrasound applications for metabolic/inflammatory diseases, 30% on microfluidic diagnostics, and 10% on field advancement. Key journals include Nature Biomedical Engineering, Circulation Research, and Brain Stimulation, demonstrating impact across engineering, neuroscience, and clinical domains.

His scientific recognition includes:

• NIH Neuromod Prize (Phase I 2022, Phase IIa 2023)
• GE Edison Pioneer Award (2019)
• GE Hull Award (2018)
• Albany Business Review 40 Under 40 (2020)

Professor Puleo maintains active industry partnerships through his GE legacy, with current research supported by NIH grants and industry collaborations. His mentorship approach emphasizes translational skill development, preparing students for careers at the engineering-medicine interface. The recent NIH prize wins indicate robust funding momentum for his diabetes and inflammation-focused neuromodulation projects.

Based at RPI's CBIS facility, his work leverages interdisciplinary resources for bioelectronic medicine development. His GE experience established protocols for rapid device iteration, now applied to academic research with emphasis on clinical validation pathways. Current projects focus on optimizing ultrasound parameters for specific neural targets and translating microfluidic diagnostics to point-of-care settings.