Designing Microfluidic & Biosensing Platforms That Make Early, Precise Diagnosis Possible—Anywhere, for Anyone
Enrique Valera
I am a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign, where my work sits at the intersection of microfluidics, biosensors, and point‑of‑care diagnostics. My research focuses on developing compact, high‑performance technologies for the rapid detection of cells, proteins, and pathogens, with applications spanning infectious diseases and cancer. A central goal of my work is to translate advanced sensing and lab‑on‑a‑chip technologies into practical tools that can operate beyond traditional laboratory environments.
I earned my Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC, Barcelona) in 2008. I then joined the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)as a postdoctoral researcher supported by a Juan de la Cierva Fellowship. In 2012, I moved to the Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nanomedicine (CIBER‑BBN), where I continued developing interdisciplinary research at the interface of engineering, chemistry, and clinical diagnostics.
In 2014, I moved to the United States to join the Department of Chemistry at UIUC as a postdoctoral researcher, followed by a position as Research Scientist in the Bashir Lab in 2016. In 2021, I joined the Department of Bioengineering at UIUC as a Research Assistant Professor. I am also an Associate Member of the Cancer Center at Illinois and an Affiliate of the Carle Hospital Biomedical Research Center, the Center for Genomic Diagnostics at the Carl R. Woese Institute of Genomic Biology, and the Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory.
Over the past two decades, my research has evolved from electrochemical biosensors for food safety to advanced electrical and optical point‑of‑care platforms for clinical diagnostics and global health. I have authored more than 50 peer‑reviewed publications in leading international journals, presented my work at numerous national and international conferences, and contributed to funded research projects in Europe, Spain, and the United States. Innovations arising from my research have resulted in four granted patents in Spain and the United States.
