About Me

About Me

Faheem Ershad, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Associate
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 

Download CV

Highlights

  • Incoming tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Houston (Jan. 2025)
  • Biomedical engineering PhD specializing in the development of wearable/implantable bioelectronics for physiological sensing and treatment, focusing on cardiac/neural health, tissue engineering, and machine learning.
  • Authored 25 publications (10 first/co-first author) with 4 in Nature Electronics, 1 in Nature Communications, and 3 in Science Advances among several other journals.
  • Significant contributions in wearable bioelectronics through the development of new technology to avoid motion artifacts (2020 Top 50 Chemistry and Materials Sciences Articles, Nature Communications).
  • NSF Graduate Research Fellow with >10 awards, with notable achievements at prominent conferences such as ASME IMECE, IEEE MEMS, and NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop.
  • Substantial contributions to several grants/proposals, setting up new labs at multiple institutions, and purchasing equipment for electrophysiological (in vivo and in vitro) and biological characterizations.
  • 4+ years of teaching undergraduate and K-12 students and mentoring several undergraduate, Masters, and junior PhD students, all of whom have contributed to many publications.

Education

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign                                   
Urbana, IL
Postdoc, Electrical and Computer Engineering (Aug. 2024 – Current)
Advisor: Dr. Cunjiang Yu                                   

Pennsylvania State University                                   
University Park, PA
PhD, Biomedical Engineering (Jan. 2022 – Aug. 2024)
University of Houston (Aug. 2018 – Dec. 2021) 
Advisor: Dr. Cunjiang Yu                                   

University of Houston                                                 
Houston, TX
BS, Biomedical Engineering (Aug. 2014 – May 2018)                                                                
Minor in Nanoengineering, Summa Cum Laude

Teaching Experience

Pennsylvania State University            
Guest Lecturer                                                                      
March 2023

Created and taught a lecture for BIOE 510, a graduate course on biomedical applications of microelectromechanical systems (BioMEMS) and bionanotechnology. The lecture focused on the implementation of BioMEMS for genomic and proteomic assays.

Pennsylvania State University            
Guest Lecturer                                                                      
September 2022

Prepared and presented a seminar for BME 100, a first-year undergraduate course introducing students to biomedical engineering. The seminar focused on the development of soft and stretchable medical devices.

University of Houston                         
Lead Facilitator                                   
January 2016 – December 2016

Led biweekly workshops in which students developed a fuller understanding of concepts taught in lecture. Authored first General Chemistry UH SEP workbook containing worksheets used in workshop, currently in use by new and experienced facilitators. Organized and led exam review sessions for students.

University of Houston                         
Teaching Assistant                                        
May 2016 – August 2016

Mentored a group of engineering students that learned to solve problems using MATLAB. Held office hours and met with professor weekly to prepare for the upcoming week. Created projects and assignments for students.

University of Houston                         
Peer Facilitator                                    
August 2015 – December 2015

Led four one-hour recitations weekly for students enrolled in General Chemistry I. Engaged students with the material taught in class with provided worksheets, model kits, videos, and experiments.

Mathnasium                                       
Lead Instructor                                              
August 2013 – May 2017

Taught elementary, junior high, and high school students various school-related math concepts using Mathnasium curriculum in a mini classroom setting. Created and managed lesson plans.

Honors and Awards

2019-2024: National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship
2023: Gold Prize at 9th International College Students’ “Internet+” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition
2023: Harry G. Miller Fellowship in Engineering
2023: Future Faculty Symposium NSF Travel Grant at SES
2022: Best Poster in Wearables, Implantables and Health and Biosensors at Materials Day PSU
2022: 2nd Place in Oral Presentations at Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) Today
2022: Outstanding Student Paper Finalist at IEEE MEMS
2021: C. W. Chu Scholarship from Texas Center for Superconductivity at UH
2020: Best Presenter Award in NSF Poster Competition at ASME IMECE
2020: NSF Poster Competition Travel Grant at ASME IMECE
2020: 1st Place in Poster Competition at NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop
2019: 2nd Place in Poster Competition at UH Graduate Research Showcase
2019: 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition Finalist at UH Graduate Research Showcase
2018: PURS (Provost Undergraduate Research Scholarship) Scholar
2015-2016: NSF Funded H-LSAMP (Houston-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation) Scholar
2014-2018: Cullen College of Engineering Dean’s List (4 consecutive years)
2014-2018: Academic Excellence Scholarship (4 consecutive years)

Conference Presentations

2023

  1. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Drawn-on-Skin (DoS) Bioelectronics for Customizable & Reconfigurable High-Density Surface Electromyography. Poster presented at Biomedical Engineering Society 2023; (2023) October 14; Seattle, WA, USA.
  2. F. Ershad. Bioelectronic Synergy for Advanced Healthcare: Uniting Soft Devices, Multimodal Analysis, and Machine Learning. Poster presented at Meet the Faculty Candidate Forum, Biomedical Engineering Society 2023; (2023) October 11; Seattle, WA, USA.
  3. F. Ershad. Bioelectronic Synergy for Advanced Healthcare: Uniting Soft Devices, Multimodal Analysis, and Machine Learning. Poster presented at Future Faculty Symposium, Society of Engineering Science 2023; (2023) October 10; Minneapolis, MN, USA.
  4. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Drawn-on-Skin Bioelectronics for In Situ, Motion Artifact-Less Physiological Sensing and Customizable Treatments. Talk given at iCAN-X Youth Talks, Vol. 20; (2023) June 27; Virtual.
  5. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Anatomically Coordinated Muscle Activity Detection from Reconfigurable Drawn-On-Skin (DoS) Electrode Arrays. Poster presented at Graduate Exhibition 2023; (2023) March 24; University Park, PA, USA.

2022

  1. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Ultraconformal Drawn-on-Skin Bioelectronics for Motion Artifact-Free Physiological Sensing and Customizable Treatments. Poster presented at Materials Day PSU 2022; (2022) October 20; University Park, PA, USA.
  2. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Drawn-on-Skin Bioelectronics for Motion Artifact-Less Physiological Sensing and Point-of-Care Treatment. Talk given at Society of Engineering Science 2022; (2022) October 18; College Station, TX, USA.
  3. F. Ershad, K. Sim, C. Yu. Spatiotemporal Mapping of Cardiac Electrophysiology with Fully Rubbery Epicardial Bioelectronics. Poster presented at Society of Engineering Science 2022; (2022) October 17; College Station, TX, USA.
  4. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Drawn-on-Skin Bioelectronics for Motion Artifact-Free Sensing and Point-of-Care Treatment. Talk given at Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) Today 2022; (2022) February 26; University Park, PA, USA.
  5. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Drawn-on-Skin Bioelectronics for Motion Artifact-Free Sensing and Point-of-Care Treatment. Poster presented at Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM) Today 2022; (2022) February 26; University Park, PA, USA.
  6. F. Ershad, K. Sim, C. Yu. Fully Rubbery Epicardial Bioelectronic Patch. Talk given at IEEE MEMS 2022; (2022) January 10; Tokyo, Japan.
  7. F. Ershad, K. Sim, C. Yu. Fully Rubbery Epicardial Bioelectronic Patch. Poster presented at IEEE MEMS 2022; (2022) January 11; Tokyo, Japan.

2021

  1. F. Ershad, A. Ravindran, A. Craik, M. R. Amin, Y. Lu. The BRAIN Student Group. Poster presented at BRAIN NSF I/UCRC Industry Advisory Board Interim Meeting; (2021) November 4; Virtual.
  2. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Drawn-on-Skin Bioelectronics for Multifunctional, Motion Artifact-Free Sensing and Point-of-Care Treatment. Talk given at Texas Center for Superconductivity Scholarship Symposium; (2021) May 25; Houston, TX, USA.
  3. F. Ershad, A. Ravindran, A. Craik, M. R. Amin. The BRAIN Student Group. Poster presented at BRAIN NSF I/UCRC Industry Advisory Board Interim Meeting; (2021) May 20; Virtual.

2020

  1. A. Ravindran, F. Ershad. The BRAIN Student Group. Poster presented at BRAIN NSF I/UCRC Industry Advisory Board Meeting; (2020) December 3; Virtual.
  2. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Drawn-on-Skin Bioelectronics for Motion Artifact-Free Sensing and Point-of-Care Treatment. Talk given at 2020 ASME IMECE; (2020) November 19; Virtual.
  3. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Drawn-on-skin Electronics: A Technological Platform for Motion Artifact-Free Sensing and Point-of-Care Treatment. Talk given at 2020 ASME IMECE; (2020) November 17; Virtual.
  4. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Ultra-Conformal Drawn-on-skin Bioelectronics for Multifunctional, Motion Artifact-Free Sensing and Point-of-Care Treatment. Talk given at 2020 ASME IMECE; (2020) November 16; Virtual.
  5. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Multifunctional, Motion Artifact-Free Sensing and Point-of-Care Treatment With Drawn-on-Skin Electronics. Poster presented at 2020 ASME IMECE; (2020) November 16-19; Virtual.
  6. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Drawn-on-Skin Electronics for Multifunctional, Motion Artifact-Free Sensing and Point-of-Care Treatment. Poster presented at 2020 ASME IMECE; (2020) November 16-19; Virtual.
  7. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Drawn-on-Skin Electronics for Multifunctional, Motion Artifact-Free Sensing and Point-of-Care Treatment. Talk given at 2020 BMES Annual Meeting; (2020) October 17; Virtual.
  8. F. Ershad, K. Sim, C. Yu. Soft Unnoticeable Multifunctional Electronics for Wearable Human-Machine Interfaces. Poster presented at NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop 2020; (2020) January 28; Galveston, TX, USA.
  9. F. Ershad, K. Sim, C. Yu. Fully Rubbery Circuits, Sensors, And Smart Skins. Poster presented at NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop 2020; (2020) January 27; Galveston, TX, USA.

2019

  1. F. Ershad, Drawn Electronic Tattoos: Improving, Simplifying, and Customizing Medical Sensing and Treatment. Talk given at UH Graduate Research Showcase: 3 Minute Thesis; (2019) November 1; Houston, TX, USA.
  2. F. Ershad, A. Thukral, J. Yue, P. Comeaux, X. Wu, C. Yu. Drawn Electronic Tattoos: A Simple and Customizable Platform for Improved Medical Sensing and Treatment. Poster presented at UH Graduate Research Showcase: Poster Presentations; (2019) November 1, Houston, TX, USA.
  3. F. Ershad, C. Yu. Drawn-On-Skin Electronics for Motion Artifact-Less Multifunctional Sensing and Point-Of-Care Treatment. Poster presented at UH Materials Research Society Poster Symposium; (2019) October 14; Houston, TX, USA.
  4. L. Gonzalez, A. Almasri, F. Ershad, P. Comeaux, C. Yu. Soft Electronics Innervated Bioprinted Cardiac Cells and Tissues. BRAIN REU Conference; (2019) July 30; Houston, TX, USA.
  5. F. Ershad, K. Sim, C. Yu. Soft Tissue-Like Electronics for the Brain. Poster presented at BRAIN NSF I/UCRC Industry Advisory Board Meeting Spring 2019; (2019) May 16; Tempe, AZ, USA.
  6. J. Cruz-Garza, F. Ershad, R. Adams. The BRAIN Student Group: Fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and building community. Poster presented at BRAIN NSF I/UCRC Industry Advisory Board Meeting Spring 2019; (2019) May 16; Tempe, AZ, USA.
  7. F. Ershad, K. Sim, C. Yu. Sol-Gel-On-Polymer Processed Oxide Semiconductor Nanomembrane Based Soft Unnoticeable Electronics for Wearable Human-Machine Interfaces. Poster presented at NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop 2019; (2019) January 24; Galveston, TX, USA.
  8. F. Ershad, K. Sim, C. Yu. Fully Rubbery Electronic Materials, Integrated Electronics, and Sensory Skins. Poster presented at NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop 2019; (2019) January 22; Galveston, TX., USA

2018

  1. B. Hunter, S. Sharma, A. Thukral, P. Yang, F. Ershad, C. Yu. 3D Printed Soft Organic Electrochemical Transistors. Poster presented at Undergraduate Research Day 2018; (2018) October 18; Houston, TX, USA.
  2. F. Ershad, E. Hart, K. Robinson, Z. Zhao. Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) using Dry-Electrode EEG. Poster presented at Annual Biomedical Engineering Day; (2018) April 27; Houston, TX, USA.
  3. F. Ershad. Wearable Electroencephalography Headsets. Talk given at Flexible Electronics Day, Yu Research Group; (2018) May 1; Houston, TX, USA.

Professional Organizations

2021-2022: BRAIN Student Group – President
2018-2020: BRAIN Student Group – Vice President
2022-Current: BMES (Biomedical Engineering Society) Member
2019-Current: IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Member
2017-Current: Tau Beta Pi member
2016: SEP (Scholar Enrichment Program)
2015: HHMI (Howard Hughes Medical Institute)
2014-2018: Honors Engineering Program

Volunteering Experience

2022: Jared Box Project
2020: Parking and Attendee Facilitator, Technology Expo Aqsa Masjid
2019: Booth Manager, 24th Annual ExxonMobil Children’s Festival
2017-2018: Metropolitan Volunteer Program, University of Houston
2013: Math Tutor, James Williams Elementary
2013: Book Shelver/Movie Program Assistant, Cinco Ranch Public Library
2012: Reading Log Competition Volunteer
2011: Take Our Kids to Work Day Volunteer, Accenture
2010: Warehouse Volunteer, Accenture