James Friend

James Friend is a Professor at the University of California, San Diego, holding dual appointments in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Jacobs School of Engineering and the Department of Surgery, School of Medicine. He serves as the Stanford S. and Beverly P. Penner Endowed Chair in Engineering and leads the Medically Advanced Devices Laboratory in the Center for Medical Devices at UCSD. Prior to joining UCSD in November 2014, he spent 14 years as a faculty member in Japan and Australia, where he founded micro/nanofabrication facilities including the $45 million Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication and served as inaugural director of RMIT University's $35 million MicroNano Research Facility.

• Jacobs School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• School of Medicine, Department of Surgery
• Stanford S. and Beverly P. Penner Endowed Chair in Engineering
• Director, Medically Advanced Devices Laboratory

Professor Friend's research focuses on exploring and exploiting acoustic phenomena at small scales, primarily for biomedical applications. His work spans acoustofluidics, medical device development, micro/nanofabrication, and the application of surface acoustic waves for diagnostics, drug delivery, and therapeutic interventions. He has pioneered techniques for ultrasound neuromodulation, point-of-care diagnostics, and microscale fluid manipulation with applications in neurology, oncology, and pediatrics. His research bridges fundamental acoustic science with practical clinical solutions, emphasizing translational impact.

His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on advancing acoustofluidic technologies for biomedical applications. Key trends include developing point-of-care diagnostic platforms for neurodegenerative diseases, creating novel ultrasound-based neural modulation techniques, and engineering microscale propulsion systems. His work also explores fundamental aspects of acoustic wave behavior at micro and nanoscales, with applications ranging from cell manipulation to battery technology enhancement. The interdisciplinary nature of his research spans engineering, physics, neuroscience, and clinical medicine.

• AIAA Jefferson Goblet Student Paper Award and ASME Best Paper Award
• Multiple excellence awards from Monash Faculty of Engineering (2006, 2008, 2011)
• Future Leader award from Davos Future Summit (2008)
• Top 10 emerging scientific leader of Australia (2009)
• Top 50 papers of Applied Physics Letters past 50 years (2012)
• IEEE Carl Hellmuth Hertz Ultrasonics Award (2015)
• IEEE Fellow (2018)
• Highly cited author by Royal Society of Chemistry (2020)
• UCSD Distinguished Teaching Award (2021)

Professor Friend currently supervises 7 PhD students and 1 post-doc in his Medically Advanced Devices Laboratory. Over his career, he has successfully completed 37 postgraduate students and supervised 23 postdoctoral researchers. His research has been supported by over $29 million in competitive grant funding, reflecting the significance and impact of his work. His laboratory operates at the intersection of engineering and medicine, with strong collaborations across disciplines to translate fundamental discoveries into practical medical solutions.

The Medically Advanced Devices Laboratory, which Professor Friend leads, focuses on developing innovative medical devices that leverage acoustic phenomena. The lab has developed handheld acoustofluidic circuits, novel centrifugation and separation techniques using omnidirectional spiral surface acoustic waves, and acoustogeometric streaming technologies. Recent projects include superfast battery recharging systems using surface acoustic waves and point-of-care diagnostic platforms for Alzheimer's disease detection. The laboratory maintains strong industry and clinical partnerships to accelerate the translation of research into practical medical applications.