Dr Gerard Cummins SMIEEE FHEA

Gerard Cummins

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Assistant Professor

Contact details

Address
School of Engineering
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Gerard Cummins is an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering and leads the Medical Microsystems lab. His core research interest is in applying microengineering techniques to benefit healthcare by developing smart miniaturised diagnostic and therapeutic implants, ingestible and wearable devices.

Gerard Cummins is part of the Healthcare Technologies Institute (HTI), an interdisciplinary network of over 70 academics working together to advance new technologies and treatments that encourage better tissue healing and rehabilitation tools.  The HTI brings together leading experts from a variety of disciplines across the University of Birmingham, including chemical engineering, biomedical science, computer science, applied mathematics, chemistry and physics. Researchers across campus are working collaboratively to speed up the translation of new discoveries into health applications.

Qualifications

  • Senior Member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • PhD in Microengineering, University of Edinburgh
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Microelectronic and Electrical Engineering, University College Cork

Teaching

  • 31737 Mechatronics and Control
  • 34566 Microprocessors and Control
  • 33394 Research and Professional Skills

Postgraduate supervision

miniaturised medical therapeutic devices; miniaturised medical diagnostic devices; ingestible devices; implantable devices; wearables; biomedical microsystems, clinical translation of technology

Research

His core research interest is in applying microengineering techniques to benefit healthcare by developing smart miniaturised diagnostic tools, therapeutic implants, ingestible and wearable devices. 

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Mitrakos, V, Cummins, G, Tauber, FJ, Cox, BF, Pavaluri, SK, Wood, GS, Potter, MA, Clutton, E, Cochran, S, Speck, T, Hands, PJW & Desmulliez, MPY 2024, 'PressureCap: An endoscopic sensor capsule for real-time gastrointestinal pressure monitoring', Device. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.device.2024.100325

Philpott, J, Churm, J, Nasrollahi, V, Dimov, S, Anthony, C & Cummins, G 2023, 'Wireless measurement of the degradation rates of thin film bioresorbable metals using reflected impedance', IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing , vol. 36, no. 1, 9944891. https://doi.org/10.1109/TSM.2022.3221267

Karkantonis, T, Gaddam, A, Sharma, H, Cummins, G, See, TL & Dimov, S 2022, 'Laser-enabled surface treatment of disposable endoscope lens with superior antifouling and optical properties', Langmuir, vol. 38, no. 37, pp. 11392–11405. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01671

Stewart , F, Cummins, G, Turcanu , M, Cox, B, Prescott, A, Clutton, E, Newton, I, Desmulliez, M, Thanou, M, Mulvana, H, Cochran, S & Nathke, I 2021, 'Ultrasound mediated delivery of quantum dots from a proof of concept capsule endoscope to the gastrointestinal wall', Scientific Reports, vol. 11, no. 1, 2584. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82240-1

Qiu, Y, Huang, Y, Zhang, Z, Cox, BF, Liu, R, Hong , J, Mu, P, Lay , HS, Cummins, G, Desmulliez, MPY, Clutton, E, Zheng , H, Qiu, W & Cochran, S 2020, 'Ultrasound capsule endoscopy with a mechanically scanning micro-ultrasound: a porcine study', Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, vol. 46, no. 3, pp. 796-804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2019.12.003

Cummins, G, Cox, BF, Walker, JD, Cochran, S & Desmulliez, MPY 2019, 'Challenges in developing collaborative interdisciplinary research between gastroenterologists and engineers', Journal of medical engineering & technology, vol. 42, no. 6, pp. 435-442 . https://doi.org/10.1080/03091902.2018.1543466

Lay, HS, Cummins, G, Cox, BF, Qiu, Y, Turcanu, MV, McPhillips, R, Connor, C, Gregson, R, Clutton, RE, Desmulliez, MPY & Cochran, S 2019, 'In-vivo evaluation of microultrasound and thermometric capsule endoscopes', IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, vol. 66, no. 3, pp. 632 - 639. https://doi.org/10.1109/TBME.2018.2852715

Norton, JC, Slawinski, PR, Lay, HS, Martin, JW, Cox, BF, Cummins, G, Desmulliez, MPY, Clutton, RE, Obstein, KL, Cochran, S & Valdastri, P 2019, 'Intelligent magnetic manipulation for gastrointestinal ultrasound', Science Robotics, vol. 4, no. 31, eaav7725. https://doi.org/10.1126/scirobotics.aav7725

Khan, SR, Pavuluri, SK, Cummins, G & Desmulliez, MPY 2019, 'Miniaturized 3-D cross-type receiver for wirelessly powered capsule endoscopy', IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 67, no. 5, 8630861, pp. 1985-1993. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2019.2893204

Conference contribution

Lay, HS, Lemke, C, Cox, BF, Qiu, Y, Cummins, G, Ferrazzano, E, West, C, Desmulliez, MPY, Clutton, RE & Cochran, S 2019, Integrated front end circuitry for microultrasound capsule endoscopy. in 2018 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS). vol. 2018-January, IEEE Xplore, 2018 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium (IUS), Kobe, Japan, 22/10/18. https://doi.org/10.1109/ULTSYM.2018.8579738

Other contribution

Stewart, F, Cummins, G, Turcanu, MV, Cox, BF, Prescott, A, Clutton, E, Newton, IP, Desmulliez, MPY, Thanou, M, Mulvana, H, Cochran, S & Näthke, I 2020, Ultrasound Mediated Delivery of Quantum Dots from a Capsule Endoscope to the Gastrointestinal Wall. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.02.24.963066

Review article

Borenstein , J, Cummins, G, Dutta, A, Hamad, E, Hughes, M, JIang, X, Lee, H, Lei, KF, Tang, S & Chen, J 2023, 'BioNanotechnology and BioMEMS (BNM): State-of-the-Art Applications, Opportunities, and Challenges', Lab on a Chip, vol. 2023, no. 23, pp. 4928-4949. https://doi.org/10.1039/D3LC00296A

Cummins, G 2021, 'Smart pills for gastrointestinal diagnostics and therapy', Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, vol. 177, 113931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2021.113931

Khan, SR, Pavuluri, SK, Cummins, G & Desmulliez, MPY 2020, 'Wireless power transfer techniques for implantable medical devices: a review', Sensors, vol. 20, no. 12, 3487, pp. 1-58. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20123487

Cummins, G, Cox, BF, Ciuti, G, Anbarasan, T, Desmulliez, MPY, Cochran, S, Steele, R, Plevris, JN & Koulaouzidis, A 2019, 'Gastrointestinal diagnosis using non-white light imaging capsule endoscopy', Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology, vol. 16, no. 7, pp. 429–447. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-019-0140-z

View all publications in research portal