Khosrow Behbehani, Ph.D.

Khosrow Behbehani, a noted biomedical researcher, inventor and chairman of the UT Arlington Department of Bioengineering, has been appointed dean of the University’s College of Engineering.

Behbehani joined The University of Texas at Arlington in 1985 and has served as chairman of his department since 2002. He holds nine patents, with one patent pending, and is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

His work has attracted significant support from the U.S. Department of Education, the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health. In recent years, Behbehani has garnered recognition for his work to develop an ultrasonic sleep apnea detection system, a portable device that improves detection and ultimately treatment for patients.

Behbehani succeeds Jean-Pierre Bardet, who will continue as a member of the civil engineering faculty.

“Dr. Behbehani has played an integral role in the development of our research program, and we are pleased that he has agreed to lead the pioneering and cutting-edge work of our College of Engineering faculty and students,” President James D. Spaniolo said. “Dr. Behbehani has a long-standing passion for this University and understands the impact it has had – and will have – on our world.”

Four University of Texas at Arlington engineering professors have been named charter fellows to the National Academy of Inventors.

They are Khosrow Behbehani, professor and chair of the Bioengineering Department; Nai Yuen Chen, a National Academy of Engineering member and distinguished research professor in the Materials Science and Engineering Department; George Kondraske, electrical engineering professor; and Robert Magnusson, the Texas Instruments Distinguished University Chair in Nanoelectronics and an electrical engineering professor.

Ron Elsenbaumer, UT Arlington provost and vice president for academic affairs, said the new fellows are well deserving of such honor.

“These distinguished faculty members truly are leaders in their respective fields,” Elsenbaumer said. “They are models of innovation and invention and have shared their passion for discovery to students and colleagues.”

Khosrow Behbehani, chairman of the Bioengineering Department, has been named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Behbehani, also a bioengineering professor, was honored for his contributions to the development of respiratory therapy devices in chronic pulmonary diseases. He becomes the seventh UT Arlington faculty member to be elevated to IEEE Fellow.

“I’m honored for being named an IEEE Fellow,” Behbehani said. “I hope that more of the devices and techniques I’ve helped develop that led to this award find their way to commercialization where they can help many people.”

The majority of Behbehani’s work has focused on inventing devices and methods for diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea. In 1990s, he and his team developed a device for treating sleep apnea patients, which was commercialized and used for treatment on several hundred people. Behbehani and colleagues hold nine U.S. patents on devices and methods related to sleep apnea diagnosis and treatment.

Behbehani and his colleagues recently filed for another patent on an innovative, ultrasonic sensor system that can accurately detect whether a person suffers from sleep apnea without the inconvenience or cost associated with an overnight stay in a sleep center.

UT Arlington bioengineering researchers have designed an innovative, ultrasonic sensor system that can accurately detect whether a person suffers from sleep apnea without the inconvenience or cost associated with an overnight stay in a sleep center.

The University of Texas at Arlington has applied for a provisional patent for the concept and technology. Researchers are currently identifying private partners to market the device. UT Arlington has formed an alliance with Sleep Consultants Inc. in Fort Worth to conduct studies related to the research.

Sleep apnea affects an estimated 15 percent of adults nationwide. The chronic interruption of breathing can lead to hypertension, heart failure and even some brain injuries. The new detection system promises a speedier path to diagnosis and eventual relief, said Khosrow Behbehani, professor and chair of the UT Arlington Department of Bioengineering.

“Making detection of this insidious disease more affordable will allow more people affected with the disease to be diagnosed,” Behbehani said, adding that conventional diagnostic testing can cost as much as $2,000 per patient per test. “For some, the cost is such a barrier that they may opt to continue to suffer rather than to be diagnosed.”