Karl Böhringer

Karl Böhringer is Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Bioengineering at the University of Washington, where he also directs the Institute for Nano-Engineered Systems (NanoES). He holds an adjunct faculty position at the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. With international academic engagements at institutions in Japan, Brazil, and Switzerland, his work focuses on interdisciplinary research bridging engineering and life sciences.

Education

• Diplom-Informatiker, University of Karlsruhe (1990)
• MS in Computer Science, Cornell University (1993)
• PhD in Computer Science, Cornell University (1997)

Postdoctoral training includes positions at Stanford University (1994-1995) and UC Berkeley (1996-1998).

Research Focus

Böhringer leads research in micro/nano-scale systems with applications spanning robotics, biotechnology, and computing. Key areas include:

• Design of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)
• Precision manipulation from macro to nano scales
• Microfluidics for life science applications
• Autonomous microrobotics systems
• Convergence of photonics, nanotechnology, and biological computing

Laboratory Leadership

He directs the Böhringer Lab, developing innovations like parallel microactuator arrays, walking microrobots, and multi-batch self-assembling systems.