Dr. Jack Patzer has a primary appointment in the Department of Bioengineering where he serves as an Associate Professor with secondary appointments in the Departments of Surgery and Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. Dr. Patzer received his BS and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. He obtained his PhD from Stanford University, Stanford, California, in Chemical Engineering and Fluid Mechanics.

In 1986, Dr. Patzer first joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh, after spending 10 years with Gulf Research and Development Company where he was a Staff Engineer leading research teams in the development of heavy oil and synthetic fuels processes.

Dr. Patzer is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs, the American Society for Engineering Education, and the Biomedical Engineering Society. He is an Editorial Board Member and a Section Editor of the ASAIO Journal. He also provides reviews for Artificial Organs, the ASAIO Journal, the International Journal of Artificial Organs, and Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis.

Dr. Patzer’s current research interests include the application of reaction engineering, transport phenomena, separations science, surface science, and electrochemistry fundamentals to biomedical issues. Particular research projects include:

• clinical evaluation of liver assist devices
• hepatocyte tissue culture and detoxification kinetics
• encapsulation technology for islets and hepatocytes
• liver assist device system development
• development of platinized-titanium electrocatalyst/reactor system for organic oxidations
• novel methods of ammonia removal from physiologic buffers
• development of portable, electrochemical-based hemodialysis system
• implantable glucose sensor for an artificial pancreas

View a list of Dr. Patzer’s publications here.