Prof. Steven Saliterman is engaged in both research and teaching, and is a recipient of a Venture Well Faculty Grant. He is fellow of the American College of Physicians and Senior Member of SPIE - International Society for Optics and Photonics. His areas of expertise include biomedical engineering, aerospace and internal medicine, cardiopulmonary physiology, bioMEMS, organ-on-a-chip, nanofabrication, nanosensors, actuators and nanorobotics. He has additional interest in optical engineering and astrophysics, the latter providing the requisite mathematical foundation for application of electromagnetism, photonics and high-energy systems to medical applications.

His latest work, “An Experimental Phototherapy Device for Studying the Effects of Blue Light on Patients with Raynaud’s Phenomenon”, was published in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering, and received a patent, “Light-based Treatment Devices and Methods.” In this effort he and his students addressed the vasospasm and related symptoms of patients with Raynaud’s phenomenon. This disorder affects the hands primarily, and can lead to ulceration and loss of fingers. An alternative to pharmacologic therapy was needed. They determined that low levels of blue light, at specific frequencies and energy fluxes, could interact with the cellular signalling mechanism and lead to vasodilation in humans.

At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, he received an emergency request to develop personal protective gowns on behalf of M Health Fairview Hospitals & Clinics. They faced a dire shortage of PPI with replacement supplies no longer being available from vendors. Along with 17 of his students they accepted the challenge. Within two weeks the team assessed the problem, designed a low-cost, easily manufactured FDA approved gown; motivated the hospital to perform a due-diligence and funding; specified and procured raw materials; and set into production 10,000 gowns per day. The designs were telegraphed across the country and globe, and a crisis averted.