Rate My Professor David Eddington

David Eddington is Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Richard and Loan Hill Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago, spanning the Colleges of Engineering and Medicine. Effective July 1, 2024, he serves as Dean of the UIC Graduate College while retaining his professorship. Eddington joined the UIC faculty in 2006 following a postdoctoral fellowship in the Health Sciences and Technology program at MIT. He holds a B.S. degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an M.S. degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. From 2011 to 2021, he directed graduate studies in the Biomedical Engineering department, implementing improvements in recruitment to enhance student access and quality, clarifying advisor-student expectations, and providing active support for graduate students and faculty. Eddington served two terms on the Graduate College Executive Committee from 2019 to 2023, contributing to updates in bylaws for better mentoring and advising, and establishing processes for addressing concerns about graduate advisors. He participated on the university's Graduate Employee Organization contract negotiating team, several Graduate College disciplinary committees, and the Awards Committee. Additionally, he is a member of the executive committee for UIC PREP, an NIH-funded postbaccalaureate program offering research experience to individuals from groups underrepresented in biomedical sciences prior to PhD or dual-degree applications.

Eddington's research centers on microfluidics, with his lab developing novel tools to investigate biological questions unattainable using standard laboratory methods, particularly controlling microenvironmental dissolved gases and pressures for cell cultures. His work has garnered over 4,900 citations, reflected in key publications such as 'Flow control with hydrogels' (Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 2004), 'Thermal aging and reduced hydrophobic recovery of polydimethylsiloxane' (Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2006), 'Sickle cell vasoocclusion and rescue in a microfluidic device' (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2007), 'Oxygen control with microfluidics' (Lab on a Chip, 2014), and 'Microfluidic device for multimodal characterization of pancreatic islets' (Lab on a Chip, 2009). He has taught courses including Introduction to Biomedical Engineering, fostering student engagement and departmental improvements.