Brad Dixon
Professor Alex Abramson

Alex Abramson, assistant professor in Georgia Tech's School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE), has won a 2025 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award.

The CAREER Award is the NSF’s most prestigious award in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations.

Abramson will receive $499,896 over five years for "An artificial nervous system for in-body communication between wearable and implantable devices."

This project aims to develop and optimize a communication platform for multiple wearable and implantable devices to network with each other throughout all tissue layers in the body.

Abramson explained that bioelectronic sensors and therapeutic actuators enable the real-time monitoring and treatment of wound healing, diabetes, and other critical conditions; however, therapeutic functionality combining these sensors and actuators together remains limited to wearable devices, such as the insulin pump. 

“Unlocking communication with implantable devices could revolutionize treatment for neurodegeneration, sepsis, solid tumors, and other morbidities, but it is hindered by a lack of clinically relevant communication protocols,” Abramson said. 

“These protocols currently rely on power-hungry systems (e.g. Bluetooth) which demand large batteries and short lifetimes that inhibit implantation, or large antennas for wireless power and data transfer that are too bulky for patient acceptance. Our new system will allow for bioelectronic implants that can fit inside of a needle and last for up to a year between charges.”

Abramson, who holds a PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), joined the faculty of ChBE@GT in 2022, the same year he was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 (Science) and MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35. In 2023, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) recognized him in 35 Chemical Engineers Under 35.