Ahmet Ali Yanik, Ph.D.

Ahmet Ali Yanik is a senior research associate at The Center for Engineering in Medicine  & BioMEMS Resources Center (PI: Prof. Mehmet Toner) at Harvard University Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. His current research focuses on Circulating Tumor Cell (CTC) detection from human blood using nano-fluidic platforms for cancer diagnostics. His research interests includes nanoplasmonic and metamaterial devices for ultrasensitive infrared/terahertz spectroscopy of biomolecules/chemicals and high-throughput, cost effective, BioNEMS technologies for life sciences and point-of-care diagnostics. His expertise is in high-end nanolithography and bio-patterning as well as theory and engineering of nanophotonic devices. He received his Ph.D. degree in applied theoretical physics from Purdue University, under the supervision of Prof. Supriyo Datta. During his PhD, he studied spin dependent electron transport in low dimensional molecular/nano-electronic devices and introduced one of the most advanced quantum transport models (spin-NEGF) that exists today. Before joining to Harvard community, he was instrumental in the establishment of The Laboratory of Integrated Nanophotonics and Biosensing Systems at The Boston University Photonics Center, as a postdoctoral fellow and research associate. He has authored/co-authored more than 80 journal and conference publications and holds multiple patents and disclosures, some of which are licensed to commercial partners. Awarded the Bronze Medal in the 25th International Physics Olympiads at the age of 15, Ahmet has been actively involved in science and engineering education since his high school years. (Harvard Catalyst Profile & Google Scholar )