Babak
Shadgan
Associate Professor, Dept of Orthopaedics
Director, ICORD Clinical Biophotonics Laboratory
Research Theme:
Human Interfacing Devices,Research Interests:
Implantable and wearable medical devices; biomedical sensing and physiological monitoring; biophotonics and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS); multimodal biosensors; neural interfaces and neurophysiological monitoring; spinal cord injury monitoring; tissue perfusion, oxygenation, and viability assessment; organ transplantation and reconstructive surgery monitoring; rehabilitation engineering; bioelectronic systems; artificial intelligence for biomedical signal analysis; precision medicine; intelligent closed-loop therapeutic systems; and next-generation wearable technologies for human performance, body fitness, muscle metabolism, physiological resilience, recovery, and sports monitoring.
Biography:
Dr. Babak Shadgan is a clinician-scientist, biomedical innovator, and Associate Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics and Associate Faculty Member in the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) at the University of British Columbia. He is also the Director of the Implantable Biosensing Laboratory (IBL) and Principal Investigator at the International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries (ICORD).
Dr. Shadgan’s research focuses on the design, development, and clinical translation of advanced implantable, wearable, non-contact, and remote biosensing technologies for real-time monitoring of tissue and organ physiology, metabolism, hemodynamics, oxygenation, neural conduction, and functional recovery. His multidisciplinary research program integrates biomedical engineering, clinical medicine, biophotonics, physiological signal processing, artificial intelligence, and medical device innovation to create intelligent systems for precision diagnosis, continuous monitoring, rehabilitation, and targeted therapeutic interventions.
A major focus of his research is the development of implantable and wearable biosensors for monitoring neurological, musculoskeletal, and organ health and function. His research includes advanced miniaturized wearable and implantable sensors and monitoring systems for spinal cord injury, reconstructive surgery, free tissue transfer, organ transplantation, cardiovascular health, and remote patient monitoring. In collaboration with surgeons and clinical scientists, his team has developed optical monitoring technologies for real-time evaluation of tissue perfusion, oxygenation, and viability in reconstructive and transplant procedures. Dr. Shadgan’s laboratory also investigates intelligent technologies that combine physiological monitoring with targeted therapeutic interventions.
A rapidly expanding area of his research focuses on next-generation wearable systems for continuous monitoring of human performance and physiological fitness. His team is developing novel multimodal wearable sensors that integrate optical, electrophysiological, cardiovascular, and motion-based measurements to monitor muscle metabolism, oxygen utilization, fatigue, recovery, and functional performance in real time. By combining advanced biosensing technologies with artificial intelligence and physiological modeling, his research aims to establish new methods for evaluating body fitness, training adaptation, metabolic thresholds, athletic readiness, and overall physiological resilience. These technologies have applications in high-performance sport, rehabilitation, military and occupational performance, healthy aging, and precision health monitoring.
Dr. Shadgan teaches graduate courses in applied pathophysiology, implantable medical devices, and biomedical engineering innovation, while mentoring undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees from engineering, medicine, and rehabilitation sciences. His training philosophy emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, clinical immersion, technology translation, entrepreneurship, and the development of future leaders in biomedical engineering.
RESEARCH EXCELLENCE:
The Implantable Biosensing Laboratory develops innovative technologies at the intersection of biomedical engineering, medicine, and artificial intelligence. Research activities span implantable biosensors for monitoring neural, organ, and tissue function; intelligent systems for physiological monitoring and targeted therapeutic interventions; and next-generation wearable technologies for real-time assessment of human performance, fitness, metabolism, and recovery.
The laboratory’s vision is to create intelligent biomedical systems capable of continuously monitoring physiological function, predicting deterioration, guiding therapeutic decisions, and improving patient outcomes. By integrating advanced sensing technologies, machine learning, and translational engineering, the laboratory seeks to accelerate the development of closed-loop biomedical systems that transform healthcare, rehabilitation, and human performance.