Alumnus Supports Early-Stage Innovation to Improve Human Health

A new fund from David C. Gakenheimer (MS '66, PhD '69) is driving the development of a shape-sensing catheter that could one day make vascular procedures safer for clinicians and patients.

For David C. Gakenheimer, engineering has always been about real-world impact. As a Caltech graduate student, he immersed himself in applied mechanics and embraced the Institute's rigorous, interdisciplinary approach. "At Caltech, I quickly became accustomed to working on many different things with no fear," Gakenheimer says. That mindset propelled him into a multifaceted career, from defense research at RAND to medical diagnostics. In the 1990s, he developed the Logicon Caries Detector, a widely used tool for dental imaging.

After decades of industry innovation, Gakenheimer has increasingly focused on supporting the next wave of Caltech researchers. In 2018, he endowed the Dr. David C. Gakenheimer Graduate Fellowship to support students who are studying in the areas related to the human circulatory system. Three years later, he expressed his intention to create the Dr. David C. Gakenheimer Professorship through a $4 million bequest.

His latest gift—the Gakenheimer Research Fund, seeded by a $250,000 current-use contribution—supports the lab of Mory Gharib (PhD '83) in advancing an autonomous, shape-sensing catheter designed to navigate the body's vessels without the need for continuous X-ray imaging. The technology could one day reduce radiation exposure for clinicians and allow for more precise endovascular interventions.

A Fellowship Student Becomes a Research Innovator

Gharib, a pioneer in applying principles of fluid dynamics to biomedical challenges, is guiding project leads Alexandros Rosakis (PhD '23) and Alessio Tamborini (MS '19, PhD '23) in this work. Tamborini first came to Caltech after realizing he wanted to merge his interests in engineering and medicine. As he explored graduate programs, Caltech's stood out for its focus on applying engineering methods to challenging medical problems.

Tamborini became the inaugural recipient of the David C. Gakenheimer Graduate Fellowship, which he says gave him the freedom to explore ambitious ideas during his PhD program.

Now, support from the Gakenheimer Research Fund is allowing Tamborini to push the autonomous catheter project forward, integrating shape-sensing technology to lay the foundation for semi-autonomous navigation during endovascular procedures.

Accelerating a Safer Approach to Cardiovascular Care

Tamborini and the team are tackling a challenge central to modern cardiovascular care. For decades, interventional cardiologists and vascular surgeons have relied on continuous X-ray imaging (fluoroscopy) to track a catheter's position. Over the span of an entire career, that repeated exposure can increase clinicians' risk of cataracts and certain cancers. A catheter that can sense its own shape and orientation would eliminate the need for X-ray guidance, reducing radiation exposure.

When Gakenheimer visited campus earlier this year to learn about the project, he immediately recognized both the scientific and clinical importance. "It's a very clever technique," he says. The work aligned with his longstanding interest in cardiovascular and circulatory-system research and with his desire to support early-stage innovation that could improve human health.

That support has been crucial as the team moves toward prototypes that resemble professional-grade clinical tools. "We are constantly improving and upgrading all our technology," Tamborini says. "As engineers, we need to make it as easy as possible for doctors to adopt our technologies."

Fueling the Next Wave of Medical Innovation

The project builds on a broader culture of interdisciplinary problem-solving. Gharib, the Hans W. Liepmann Professor of Aeronautics and Medical Engineering, encourages students to pursue ideas that bridge fundamental science with clinical needs. "In other universities, people are so compartmentalized," he says. "Here, students and faculty have a much wider view."

Gharib has developed and brought to market several medical technologies, and he sees entrepreneurship not as a commercial pursuit but as a mindset. "Being entrepreneurial is about tackling problems others are scared of going after," he says. "It's how we address really demanding issues."

For Tamborini, advancing a project supported by the donor who funded his graduate fellowship adds meaningful continuity to his Caltech journey. "Dr. Gakenheimer's continued support has shown how much he values the work that we're doing, and it will help us bring these technologies to market," he says, adding that Gakenheimer's industry experience has been an indispensable resource, too, as the team refines a device that clinicians will want to use. According to Tamborini, the path from prototype to clinical adoption can be fraught. "Academia excels at innovation, and industry excels at manufacturing, but bridging the gap between the two can be challenging," he explains. "So, people like Dr. Gakenheimer are fundamental."

Gakenheimer also reminds the team about the purpose of their research, Tamborini adds. "Every time we talk with him, he's super excited about the science," he says. "But he also asks, 'So how is this going to impact human health? How are you going to bring it to the patient?'"

The Caltech alumnus and philanthropist views the new research fund as a natural extension of his commitment to empowering scientific breakthroughs. "I'm very interested in helping to develop methods of improving people's longevity and their health," Gakenheimer says. "Having the opportunity to participate in advanced research and product development, and to support students who want to do that work, is what keeps me engaged with Caltech."