Skip to main content

Eric S Richardson

Professor of the Practice in the Department of Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering

Overview


Eric Richardson is a Professor of the Practice in Biomedical Engineering at Duke University and the Founding Director of Duke Design Health. His research and teaching focus on medical device design and manufacturing in global and underserved markets. He emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches and academic-industry collaborations. In 2018, Richardson transitioned to Duke from Rice University, where he was the Founding Director of the Global Medical Innovation Program, which develops and implements medical technology in emerging markets. He was also the Associate Director of the Texas Medical Center Biodesign Fellowship, a program that offers venture formation curriculum to create digital health and medical device startups. Prior to Rice, he was a Principal R&D Engineer at Medtronic in California, where he developed transcatheter heart valves that currently serve over 500,000 patients worldwide. Richardson has several publications, patents and book chapters related to cardiac medical devices, and is involved with several startups.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of the Practice in the Department of Biomedical Engineering · 2023 - Present Biomedical Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
Affiliate, Duke Global Health Institute · 2019 - Present Duke Global Health Institute, University Institutes and Centers
Executive Core Faculty Member, Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy · 2023 - Present Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy, University Institutes and Centers

In the News


Published January 22, 2024
Engineering Solutions in Durham & the World
Published August 11, 2020
Designing Better Healthcare at Duke
Published April 2, 2020
Solving Pressing Challenges: 3D Printing of Medical Grade Face Shields

View All News

Recent Publications


Standing under pressure: hemodynamic effects of abdominal compression type and intensity in healthy adults.

Journal Article Front Physiol · 2025 INTRODUCTION: Abdominal compression is recommended to manage orthostatic intolerance in dysautonomia, but the hemodynamic effects of different compression parameters remain poorly understood. This study investigated how surface area and pressure magnitude ... Full text Link to item Cite

Electrophysiology of single cardiomyocytes: Patch clamp and other recording methods

Chapter · December 24, 2024 To effectively pump blood throughout the body, each individual myocyte in the heart must be electrically coordinated with other myocytes during a cardiac cycle. The heart is composed of excitable myocytes and nonexcitable cells. The excitable cells are res ... Full text Cite

The pericardium

Chapter · December 8, 2024 The cardiac pericardium is a multilayer tissue that envelops the heart. Physiologic roles of the pericardium include: (1) protecting the heart, (2) creating a compartment for containing the pericardial fluid, and (3) providing this compartment for optimizi ... Full text Cite
View All Publications

Recent Grants


Addressing Health-Related Social Needs in Clinical Practice

ResearchResearch Professional · Awarded by Duke Endowment · 2025 - 2028

REINFORCING SAFE WALKER USE: A UNIVERSAL 2-WHEEL WALKER MONITORING DEVICE

ConferenceAdvisor · Awarded by Temple University · 2024 - 2026

Kern Foundation (KEEN) Annual Supplement 2023

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Kern Family Foundation · 2020 - 2025

View All Grants

Education, Training & Certifications


University of Minnesota, Twin Cities · 2009 Ph.D.