Dr. Ari D. Brooks
Adjunct Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems
Focus Area: Drug Delivering Surgical Stapler

Dr. Ari Brooks is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, and an Assistant Professor in the College of Medicine. Dr. Brooks received his B.A. in Medical Science from Boston University in 1992 and his M.D. from the Hahnemann University School of Medicine in 1992 after completing a combined six-year medical program between the two universities, beginning in 1986.

Dr. Brooks heads the Surgical Oncology Engineering Laboratory in the College of Medicine, where the goal of the lab is to explore the multiple interfaces between surgery, oncology, and engineering. Projects in the lab range from clinical and epidemiologic databases and trials to exploring new chemotherapeutic drugs and drug delivery mechanisms. Some of the more specific projects have included:

• Ultrasound Tissue Characterization - This project focuses on the use of high-resolution ultrasound and spectral analysis to identify changes at the cellular level in various tissues. A new avenue for this research project is the identification of molecular signals that may correlate with the ultrasound findings.
• Bio-absorbable Tissue Joining Devices for Drug Delivery - A new method for tissue specific drug delivery with the aim of improving surgical efficacy with lower morbidity. (Collaboration with the School of Biomed).
• Evaluation of Novel Anti-cancer Agents - The toxicity portion of the lab evaluates in vitro and in vivo actions of new drugs.
• Clinical Database Development - A virtual lab aimed at improving the quality of clinical information used for clinical studies. (Collaboration with Institute for Healthcare Informatics).
• Philadelphia Breast Health Project - A project developed to provide healthcare to those in need. (Collaboration with the School of Public Health).