Erkin Şeker

Erkin Şeker, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of California, Davis, where he also serves as Co-Director of the Center for Neuroengineering and Medicine and Chair of the Designated Emphasis in Neuroengineering. His research integrates micro- and nanofabrication, electrochemical biosensors, multifunctional neural interfaces, and microfluidic tissue chips to address challenges in healthcare and life-science miniaturization.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, University of Virginia (2007)

Research Interests

Prof. Şeker’s group operates at the intersection of nanoporous metals, microfluidics, and device engineering. Current thrusts include:

• Nanostructured electrochemical biosensors for nucleic-acid detection in food safety, water quality, and medical diagnostics.
• Multifunctional biomedical device coatings that combine neural recording with on-demand drug delivery to combat epilepsy and other neurological disorders.
• Nanoporous metal morphology libraries for high-throughput investigation of structure–property relationships.
• Microphysiological models of neuroinflammation and gut–brain-axis interactions using tri-culture tissue chips.

Publication Trends

Over the past decade the group has produced >80 peer-reviewed articles spanning Analytical Chemistry, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Advanced Functional Materials, Lab on a Chip, and Journal of Neuroinflammation. The work reveals a clear trajectory from fundamental studies of nanoporous gold mechanics and surface chemistry to translational applications in closed-loop neural control, nucleic-acid diagnostics, and tissue-level disease models.

Scientific Awards & Honors

• NSF CAREER Award
• NIH NIBIB Trailblazer Award
• UC Davis Academic Senate Distinguished Graduate and Professional Teaching Award
• UC Davis Graduate Studies Distinguished Graduate and Postdoctoral Mentorship Award
• BMES Cellular & Molecular Bioengineering Young Innovator
• Next Level Research Award (College of Engineering)
• Fund for Medical Discovery Award (Massachusetts General Hospital)
• Elevation to IEEE Senior Member

Advising & Funding

Prof. Şeker has mentored >25 Ph.D. and M.S. students and numerous undergraduates. Active funding includes NSF, NIH (NIBIB, NINDS, NIA, NCCIH), USDA-NIFA, UC Lab Fees, and industry partnerships totaling several million dollars. He is PI or Co-PI on grants such as:

• "NeuralStorm: Taking Neuroengineering by Storm" (NSF NRT)
• "Closed-Loop Electro-Fermentation…" (USDA-NIFA)
• "Next-Generation Neural Interfaces Based on Axonal Confinement…" (NIH NIBIB Trailblazer)
• "A Scalable Primary Cortical Tri-Culture Model…" (NIH R03)

Labs & Teams

He directs the Şeker Research Group, a multidisciplinary team of graduate students, post-docs, and undergraduates housed in the UC Davis College of Engineering. Shared resources include College clean-room facilities, the Center for Neuroengineering and Medicine, and collaborative ties with the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Environmental Health Sciences Center.