Dr. Durak is the founding director and principal investigator for the SHED, MIT’s first multidisciplinary laboratory dedicated to prototyping, fabrication, and scientific discovery. Dr. Durak also leads MIT EHS Management System composed of 1000+ professionals with designated responsibilities to assure university activities are conducted in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, best practices in addition to supporting and providing oversight for the development, implementation, and monitoring of prevention control strategies and initiatives for the MIT ecosystem and affiliate institutions.
Dr. Durak holds BS/MS in Mechanical Engineering, MS in Industrial & Systems Engineering, PhD in Building Construction and Environmental Design & Planning and Masters in Business Administration. His current research interests include design and fabrication of next gen precision machines and mechanisms with specific emphasis on integrated bio-fabrication and tissue engineering as well as use of medical / health physics and nuclear engineering to advance human health and environmental justice.
Microfluidics Laser Processing: Next generation prototyping for microfluidics and lab-on-chip research and education
Brain Tissue Imaging: Safe, low-hazard and high rate sectioning of polymer perfused tissues.
Next Generation Engineered Tissues: A novel hybrid bioengineering and synthetic biology approach to guiding liver development – UPCOMING
Moonshot for Menstruation Science: Ground zero for women’s health illuminating female-skewed diseases, to humanize biomedical research for all. – UPCOMING
22.015: Radiation and Life – Applications of Radiation Sources in Medicine, Research and Industry:
Introduces students to the basics of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation; radiation safety and protection; and an overview of the variety of health physics applications, especially as it pertains to the medical field and to radioactive materials research in academia. Presents basic physics of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, known effects of the human body, and the techniques to measure those effects. Common radiation-based medical imaging techniques and therapies discussed. Projects, demonstrations, and experiments introduce students to standard techniques and practices in typical medical and MIT research lab environments where radiation is used. Subject can count toward the 6-unit discovery-focused credit limit for first-year students. Limited to 10. Preference to first-year students.