Adam Heller, PhD

JAD profile

Affiliation(s): 

University of Texas at Austin; SynAgile Corporation

ORCID URL: 

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0181-1246

Areas of Interest: 

AD triggering inflammasome activating agents in the entorhinal cortex

Biography & Research: 

ADAM HELLER John J. McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, MC 0400, 78712-1062. Tel. (512) 471-9260, Fax (512) 471-7060 heller@che.utexas.edu EDUCATION; Ph.D. Chemistry, 1961 Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel M.S. (with distinction), Chemistry and Physics, 1957; Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel PROFESSIONAL: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN: Department of Chemical Engineering 2019-to date, Ernest Cockrell Sr. Chair in Engineering Emeritus; Research Professor, 2000-2019; Ernest Cockrell Sr. Chair in Engineering, 1988-2000; SYNAGILE CORPORATION., Wilson, WY, USA, Chief Scientific Officer, 2011-present; ABBOTT DIABETES CARE (formerly TheraSense Inc. and E. Heller & Co.) Chief Scientific Officer, 1994-2004; Consultant, 2006-present; BELL LABORATORIES, Murray Hill, NJ, USA Member of Technical Staff, 1975-1977; Head, Electronic Materials Research Dept., 1977-1988; GTE LANORATORIES, Bayside NY and Waltham, MA, USA Member of Technical Staff, 1964-1970; Research Manager, 1970-1975; BELL LABORATORIES, Murray Hill, NJ, USA Postdoctoral Member of Technical Staff, 1963-1964. GOOGLE SCHOLAR CITATIONS of patents and publications as of May 4, 2020 Citations: 119,282; h-index 168; ranks # 199 of the world’s most highly cited researchers. https://scholar.google.com/citationsuser=zgPijW0AAAAJ&hl=en WIKIPEDIA LIST OF PROLIFIC INVENTORS Ranks # as of May 4, 2020 142 on Wikipedia’s list of the World’s Prolific Inventors. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_prolific_inventors TECHNOLOGY While Research Professor of Engineering at the University of Texas in Austin, Heller co-founded with his son Ephraim Heller TheraSense Inc., now Abbott Diabetes Care, of Alameda, California and was its first Chief Science Officer. He is inventor or co-inventor of 251 granted US patents relating to electrochemical monitoring of glucose and other biochemicals for the management of diabetes. His patents are exceptionally widely cited: his Google Scholar Citations number, as of January 19, 2020, 125,282 and their h-index is 176, placing him among the world’s 200 most frequently cited people in all fields of human endeavor. The patents constitute the core technologies of Abbott Diabetes Care’s FreeStyle introduced by TheraSense in 2000 https://www.myfreestyle.jp/products/freestyle-freedom-lite.html. They also constitute the core technology of the world’s most widely used continuously glucose monitoring system for diabetes management FreeStyle Libre , introduced in 2014. https://www.myfreestyle.jp/. The FreeStyle Libre system was the first not to require any blood sample for its calibration after its subcutaneous implantation, and because it unique underlying technology of direct transduction of the turnover rate of the enzyme glucose oxidase to an electrical current, the cost of its reproducible mass manufacture was lowered such that FreeStyle Libre rapidly became overwhelmingly the world’s most affordable continuously glucose monitoring system. For the first time, the cost of continuous monitoring of the glycemia of the world’s large and increasing diabetic population was brought down to the cost of monitoring of blood samples with strips. Consequently, National and private medical insurance plans have embraced its use in most countries. Co-founder (with his son Ephraim) and Chief Science Officer of SynAgile Corp. developing a miniature, non-intrusive, continuously orally L-DOPA infusing system for managing advanced Parkinson’s disease (https://www.Synagile.com). HONORS AND AWARDS 2019 Honorable Member of the Israel Chemical Society 2015 78th Honorary Member of The Elecrochemical Society 2015 Heinz Gerischer Prize of the European Section of The Electrochemical Society 2014 Service to Society Award of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2014 Inventor of the Year Award of the University of Texas at Austin (shared with John B. Goodenough) 2014 Torbern Bergman Medal of the Swedish Chemical Society (shared with Allen J. Bard) 2009 Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2008 Doctor Honoris Causa, Queens College, City University of New York 2007 UNITED STATES NATIONAL MEDAL OF TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION, the highest recognition of technological innovation of the United States; awarded by US President George W. Bush in White House Ceremony. 2008 Creative Invention Award, American Chemical Society 2005 Chemical Engineering Practice Award of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers 2005 Fresenius Gold Medal and Prize of the German Chemical Society 2005 Hocott Distinguished Engineering Award of the University of Texas at Austin 2004 Charles N. Reilly Award of the Society of Electroanalytical Chemistry 2004 Spiers Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK 1996 Faraday Medal of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK 1996 Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science 1994 Chemistry of Materials Award, American Chemical Society 1994 Fellow of The Electrochemical Society 1992 Faculty of Engineering Medal, University of Tokyo (presented by Prof. Akira Fujishima) 1991 Doctor Honoris Causa, Uppsala University, Sweden 1988 Vittorio De Nora Gold Medal of The Electrochemical Society 1987 David C. Grahame Physical Electrochemistry Award, The Electrochemical Society 1987 Member of the U. S. National Academy of Engineering 1982 Guest Professor, Collège de France, sponsored by Prof. Jean-Marie Lehn 1978 Battery Research Award, The Electrochemical Society ACCOMPLISHMENTS Between 1988 and 2005 Heller created the field the electrical wiring of redox enzymes (1988-2005), the electrical connection of their reaction centers to electrodes. He built with electrically wired glucose oxidase miniature subcutaneously implanted, continuously glucose monitoring, sensors for diabetes management. He and his colleagues made glucose monitoring painless then made continuous glucose monitoring affordable, convenient, discreet and bloodless. Heller co-founded in 1996 with his son Ephraim Heller TheraSense Inc. where they and colleagues produced in 2000 the painless blood glucose monitor FreeStyleTM https://www.myfreestyle.com/freestyle-lite-overview. Unlike others, it required only 300 nL blood, 1/8th of the average volume of a mosquito blood meal. TheraSense was acquired in 2004 by Abbott Laboratories for $ 1.2 billion and is now the core of Abbott Diabetes Care. Utilizing his electrical wiring of enzymes and concepts implemented in his research prototype subcutaneously implanted continuous glucose monitoring system, his colleagues at Abbott Diabetes Care introduced in 2014 the bloodless, affordable and convenient FreeStyle LibreTM continuous glucose monitoring system. https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/leadership/freestyle-libre-honored-by-prix-galien.html FreeStyle LibreTM is presently the worldwide most widely used continuous glucose monitoring system for diabetes management. Earlier, Heller’s radiationless relaxation research resulted in liquid scintillators for nuclear counting (1961-1964), then in the first neodymium liquid lasers (1964-1967). His subsequent research on the physical chemistry of inorganic oxyhalide solutions resulted in the non-rechargeable lithium battery (1973), one of the two earliest lithium batteries to be worldwide manufactured. Using its solvent, thionyl chloride, as oxidant, it has the highest energy density of all batteries, 710 Wh/kg and 1420 Wh/liter. It is discharge at a steady voltage of 3.6V and its -50°C to + 70°C operating temperature range is the broadest. It is the only battery having a proven shelf life of 40 years. Its medical applications are presently in hand-held small orthopedic bone-saws and drills, in implanted infusion pumps, and in automatic external defibrillators. (http://www.tadiranbat.com/medical.html). His studies of photoelectrochemistry (1975-1981) resulted in 11.5 % efficient electrochemical solar cells and in 11 % efficient hydrogen evolving photoelectrodes, then in binders for self-cleaning surfaces (1991-1995)