Ham Named Professor of Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics

Cambridge, Mass. August 24, 2009 - Donhee Ham, whose revolutionary miniaturization of a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) system to handheld size could bring lifesaving changes in biomolecular sensing and disease screening, has been named Gordon McKay Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics in Harvard University's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, effective July 1, 2009. "The appointment of Donhee Ham, who arrived as a junior faculty member in 2002, helps fulfill SEAS's long-term plan of boosting its presence in electrical engineering," says Cherry A. Murray, dean of the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "Donhee's nearly encyclopedic understanding of physics and solid-state circuits has led to creative and innovative applications in diverse fields such as biotechnology and medicine. His 'pocket NMR' and high-speed nanowire circuits are just two examples of how much engineering continues to transform science and everyday life." Ham is well known for his invention of a groundbreaking single-silicon-chip, handheld NMR system that is much smaller and cheaper than the instruments in use today. Many scientists now believe that Ham's breakthrough pocket NMR can radically change biosensing, medicine, and even quantum computing, introducing cheap, practically disposable NMR devices into every laboratory. For this pocket NMR work, Ham was recognized in August 2008 by Technology Review magazine as among the world's top innovators under the age of 35.