Chief Scientific Officer
Steve Blair, Ph.D., is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dr. Blair has been the director of the Engineering Clinic Program for over ten years. He specializes in applying the principles of optics and photonics to biology and medicine.
Education and Research Interests
Dr. Blair received his Master’s of Science in Applied Optics from the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. He completed his doctorate in Electric Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder. His research interests include the application of photonics and optics to practical problems, such as improving light collection, light emission, and medicine.
In addition to invited presentations at conferences across the country, Dr. Blair’s work has been featured in many of the leading journals in his field, including Analytical Chemistry, Optics Express, Analytical Biochemistry, and the Journal of Biomedical Optics. Additionally, he has served as a reviewer for the prestigious Nature and Science journals.
Professional Experience
Dr. Blair joined the faculty at the University of Utah in 1998 after finishing his Ph.D. In the 19 years since, he has served as principal investigator for many large-scale research projects. He has authored over 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals and holds several patents.
In addition to research, Dr. Blair serves as an educator, teacher, and mentor. He teaches coursework in nanophotonics, lasers, optics, and electromagnetics. He also serves as a research mentor for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing their careers in electrical engineering, optics, and plasmonics.
He previously directed the Center for Microarray Technology at the University of Utah, and he is the current Director of the Engineering Clinic Program. Collectively, he has served as a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on research projects that have secured over $20 million in funding.
Dr. Blair’s peers in the scientific community have honored him with numerous awards, including:
- National Science Foundation Early Career Award (2002)
- Whitaker Foundation Biomedical Research Grant for Young Investigators (2001)
- Army Research Office Young Investigator Program Grant Recipient (2000)