Copyright 2016 Biomedical Microdevices Laboratory
Masaru (Masa) P. Rao
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Materials Science & Engineering Program (Core Faculty)
Department of Bioengineering (Participating Faculty)
University of California, Riverside
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Materials Science & Engineering Program (Core Faculty)
Department of Bioengineering (Participating Faculty)
University of California, Riverside
Personal Biography
Prof. Rao received his B.S. in Material Science & Engineering from the University of Florida with specialization
in metallurgy. He received his Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara
(UCSB), under the supervision of Prof. Fred Lange in the area of structural ceramics. Following graduation, he
accepted a postdoctoral researcher position in Prof. Noel MacDonald’s group in the Mechanical Engineering
Department at UCSB, where he was an integral member of the team that developed plasma-based
micromachining techniques that allow, for the first time, deep reactive ion etching of bulk titanium (Ti DRIE).
He joined Purdue University as an Assistant Professor in the Schools of Mechanical Engineering and Materials
Engineering (by courtesy) in 2007. He moved to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University
of California, Riverside (UCR) in 2009. Prof. Rao is also a Core Faculty Member in the interdisciplinary Materials
Science & Engineering Program, and a Participating Faculty member in the Department of Bioengineering.
Prof. Rao’s research interests lie in the development of fundamentally enabling MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) based process technologies, devices, and instruments that address critical needs in public health and facilitate the advancement of understanding in areas of medical relevance. Current efforts primarily focus on development of biomedical microdevices for applications including vascular intervention, minimally-invasive drug delivery, neuroprostheses, and ultrahigh throughput cellular manipulation. He has authored/co-authored over 40 journal articles and conference proceedings, has 3 awarded and 6 pending patents, and has presented invited lectures in fields ranging from ceramic composites to MEMS. Prof. Rao is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award (2013) and is a member of the ASME MEMS Division, Biomedical Engineering Society, Materials Research Society, IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society, and the IEEE Electron Devices Society. Prof. Rao’s research is funded by a variety of federal agencies (NIH, NSF, & DoD), as well as industrial and internal sponsors.
Prof. Rao’s research interests lie in the development of fundamentally enabling MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) based process technologies, devices, and instruments that address critical needs in public health and facilitate the advancement of understanding in areas of medical relevance. Current efforts primarily focus on development of biomedical microdevices for applications including vascular intervention, minimally-invasive drug delivery, neuroprostheses, and ultrahigh throughput cellular manipulation. He has authored/co-authored over 40 journal articles and conference proceedings, has 3 awarded and 6 pending patents, and has presented invited lectures in fields ranging from ceramic composites to MEMS. Prof. Rao is a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award (2013) and is a member of the ASME MEMS Division, Biomedical Engineering Society, Materials Research Society, IEEE Engineering in Medicine & Biology Society, and the IEEE Electron Devices Society. Prof. Rao’s research is funded by a variety of federal agencies (NIH, NSF, & DoD), as well as industrial and internal sponsors.