Event
CHBE Seminar: Dr. Omar Ayyub, Senseonics Inc.
Friday, November 14, 2025
11:00 a.m.
Room 2108 Chemical and Nuclear Engineering Building
Patricia Lorenzana
301-405-1935
plorenza@umd.edu
"Materials Challenges in Continuous Glucose Monitoring: An Industry R&D Perspective"
Abstract: Senseonics develops Eversense, a long-term implantable continuous glucose monitor that provides real-time glucose readings for diabetes management. Unlike externally worn sensors, the fully subcutaneous design presents unique materials challenges. The device must maintain accurate optical sensing in a complex physiological environment for a year at a time.
This seminar will discuss two recent R&D problems: preventing oxidative degradation of polymer encasement materials under physiological conditions, and mitigating protein diffusion into sensing hydrogels that causes optical interference. Beyond the technical solutions, we'll explore how R&D operates in a medical device company including the interplay between research, manufacturing, regulatory, and clinical teams, and how this shapes problem-solving approaches differently than in academic settings.
Bio: Dr. Ayyub is a Principal Scientist at Senseonics working on new material solutions to the implantable continuous glucometer space. He earned his B.S. and Ph.D in Bioengineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. After completing his Ph.D he did a fellowship in Biochemical Genetics through the National Human Genome Research Institute and started a company focused on at-home management of rare biochemical disease, Archimedes Bioengineering. Dr. Ayyub's research focuses on polymer material solutions to in vitro and in vivo diagnostics and monitoring devices.
