Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ

2026

June

• • Dr. Castro started as reviewer in the Lab on a Chip Journal. More info:

• • Mamun was recognized in the Hilton Head 2026 Workshop with the Janusz Bryzek Abundance Through MEMS Award for developing a low-cost, cleanroom-free microneedle patch to monitor Sepsis in real time. Well earned Mamun! More info:

• • Castro Lab had a significant representation in the renowned Hilton Head 2026 Workshop of Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems. We presented an Oral (Mamun- Microneedles development for biomarkers detection in ISF) and two Papers (Gustavo-Dynamic model for valveless micropumps in wearable devices and Jose-Microparticle transport accross porous membranes for Organ-on-a-Chip platforms). Dr. Castro served also as part of the Technical Program Committee and Sesion Chair for the Interventional Biomedical Microsystems session. Congrats Mamun, Gustavo and Jose! More info:

May

• • Mamun got first place in the VMS Pitch Challenge competition organized by the organization Pioneers 21 in El Paso. VMS Pitch Challenge is a yearly event designed to showcase innovative entrepreneurs, tech companies, and students with business ideas. Congrats Mamun! More info:

• • New paper published in the Nature Microsystems and Nanoengineering Journal. This work highlights results coming from the collaboration with the Nanoscience Technology Center at UCF. “Detection of mitochondrial bioenergetics using a novel bimodal 3D microelectrode array (MEA)-based biosensor” More info:

• • Three members of Castro Lab secured internship positions for this summer. Best of luck in this amazing experience!...Gustavo @ Texas Instruments, Yamilet @ Microsoft, and Paulina @ Los Alamos National Laboratory

• • Congratulations to our graduating students in the group: Luis and Carlos got their Bachelor in Electrical Engineering this Spring from the Miguel A. Loya College of Engineering at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. Congrats to you both!. More info:

/commencement/spring-commencement/education-engineering-stream/

• • Congratulations to our undergrads Luis and Carlos for beign awarded the first place among all our seniors in the Senior Design - Capstone Project Spring 2026. Their work named "Smart Helmet for Electrolyte Balance Monitoring" was mentored by Dr. Castro. Congrats to you both! 

April

• • Jose presented his research about fabrication of a rapid and low-cost Organ-On-A-Chip platform for intestinal barrier studies in the BME Program Student Research Poster Session, held in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, El Paso TX. Congrats Jose!

• • Dr. Castro had the pleasure to serve as judge in the AME Project Showcase (Spring 2026) held at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ where undergrad students of the Miguel A. Loya College of Engineering meet to present their developments. More info:

/engineering/mechanical/

• • Castro Lab was amazingly represented by our undergrads in the COURI Symposium Spring 2026. This is organized by the Campus Office of Undergraduate Research Initiatives in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. Dr. Castro and Mamun served as judges for this important event in our academic community. Good job Paulina, Luis, and Carlos! More info:

/couri/dept/for-ug-researchers/symposia/

• • Mamun got second place in the competitive Miner's Pitch Competition organized by the Mike Loya Center for Innovation and Commerce in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. The Miners’ Pitch is Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s premier stage for student entrepreneurs. Congrats Mamun! More info:

/research/mike-loya-center-innovation-commerce/pages/miners%20pitch%20competition/miners-pitch.html

• • Mamun got third place in the Tacos and Tech-ila competition organized by the organization Pioneers 21 in El Paso. Tacos and Tech-ila is a networking event where entrepreneurs meet professionals from the tech industry. Congrats Mamun! More info:

February

• • Castro Lab hosted highschool students from DaVinci School for Science & The Arts and El Dorado High School during the E-week in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. Our group showcased our research, equipment and methods to spark interest in future generations. More info:

/engineering/eweek/

January

• • IEEE officially published our research articles coming from the work presented in IEEE Sensors 2025 Conference. Great job Gustavo, Luis and UCF collaborators! More info:

• • Our Visiting Researcher Jose Orozco transitioned this Spring to the PhD program in Electrical Engineering, and will continue conducting research in Castro Lab at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. Congrats Jose!

2025

December

• • Dr. Castro served as Session Chair and Invited Speaker in the IEEE PowerMEMS 2025 Conference held in Albuquere, NM. More info:

• • Dr. Castro started as reviewer in the IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering Journal. More info:

November

• • Castro Lab hosted undergrad students from the Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua (UACH) during the IEEE Engineering Exchange event organized by the IEEE Student Chapter in Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. We discussed about our research directions, introduced technology and shared experiences from both sides. More info:

• • Dr. Castro had the pleasure to serve as judge in the AME Project Showcase (Fall 2025) held at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ where undergrad students of the Miguel A. Loya College of Engineering meet to present their developments. More info:

/engineering/mechanical/

• • Gustavo delivered an invited oral presentation about the development of wearable technology for hydration monitoring in the SIMBIOSIS 2025 Symposium, held in Pamplona, Colombia. Well done Gustavo! More info:

October

• • Dr. Castro officially moved to his new office in the Engineering Building-Annex. His office number is the A-337. More info:

• • Gustavo presented his research about monitoring hydration levels with wearable devices in the IEEE Sensors 2025 Conference, held in Vancouver, Canada. Congrats Gustavo! More info:

• • Dr. Castro co-authored research about hermetic packaging strategies for glass-based biomedical devices in the IEEE Sensors 2025 Conference, held in Vancouver, Canada. More info:

• • Castro Lab was well represented by Gustavo in the SMDP MedTech Program. A highly competitive career mentoring program serving high potential, future leaders who have demonstrated academic excellence. More info:

August

• • IEEE officially published our research article coming from the work presented in Transducers 25 Conference. Great job Yamilet! More info:

• • Dr. Castro attended the IEEE Biosensors 2025 Conference held in San Diego, CA where he connected with experts and withnessed recent advances in the field. More info:

July

• • Dr. Castro had the pleasure to serve as judge in the COURI Symposium (Summer 2025) held at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ where undergrad students of different areas meet to present their research. More info:

/couri/dept/for-ug-researchers/symposia/

• • Castro Lab welcomes three new members to the group: Mamun (incoming PhD student in ECE), Antonio (incoming PhD student in ECE), and Jose (incoming visiting researcher from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez). More info:

/engineering/castrolab/people/

June

• • Dr. Castro served as part of the Technical Program Committee and Session Chair (Cellular Systems) in the IEEE Transducers 2025 Conference, held in Orlando, FL. More info:

• • Yamilet presented her research about impedance modeling for mithocondrial bioenergetics studies in the IEEE Transducers 2025 Conference, held in Orlando, FL. Congrats Yamilet! More info:

• • Three members of Castro Lab secured internship positions for this summer. Best of luck in this amazing experience!...Gustavo @ Texas Instruments, Yamilet @ Microsoft, and Paulina @ Los Alamos National Laboratory

May

• • Castro Lab is growing fast: Carlos Martinez (ECE Undergrad), Allan Chavarin (ECE Master student) and Steven Sanchez (BME Master student) are joining this Summer. Welcome to the team!

• • Congratulations to our graduating students in the group: Heber got his Master in Biomedical Engineering, and Gustavo got his Bachelor in Electrical Engineering this Spring from the College of Engineering at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. Congrats to you both!. More info:

/commencement/spring-commencement/education-engineering-stream/

April

• • Gustavo received the Best Senior award in the ECE Awards Ceremony - Spring 2025. His outstanding academic journey during his bachelor was recognized there along other graduates, their families, staff and faculty. Congrats Gustavo!. More info:

• • Castro Lab welcomes two new members: Paulina Olivas and Luis Rodriguez (ECE Undergrads) Welcome to the group!

• • Gustavo led the ECE team representing Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ in the Raytheon Drone Competition 2025 held in UT Arlington. Each participant university was responsible in designing and developing high performance autonomous vehicles to complete a series of pre-defined tasks. Go Miners!. More info:

• • Gustavo was recognized in the 2025 Honors Convocation at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. This event celebrates both the outstanding academic achievements of our students and the distinguished teaching and scholarship of our faculty. Way to go Gustavo! More info:

/honors-convocation/

March

• • Yamilet participated in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA) conference and IEC Networking and Outreach Workshop in Nortfolk, VA. She gained invaluable experience and made meaningful connections with talented individuals in our profession". More info:

January

• • New patent is officialy granted with Dr. Castro in the list of inventors. "3D printed, high-throughput microelectrode array". More info:

2024

December

• • New paper published at the IEEE Sensors Journal. "Handheld, Biomimetic, Phase-Change Microsystems for Breath Condensate-Based Point-of-Use Diagnostic Assays". More info:

November

• • Dr. Castro is highlighted in the CHARGED Magazine, The Magazine of the UCF Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Fall Issue, 2024. More info:

• • Dr. Castro delivered a talk about his work in electrochemical biosensors development focusing in materials processing and system integration in the prestigious AVS70 International Symposium. More info:

• • Dr. Castro is accepted into the 2024-2025 Steps Toward Advancing Research (STAR) @ Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Program, wich is designed to enhance grant-writing skills and increase the competitiveness of proposals for major funding agencies like NIH and NSF. More info:

/research/proposal-development/star-utep.html

• • Dr. Castro is awarded the prestigious Rising STARs award from the University of Texas System. The Rising STARs Program provides funding opportunities for institutions to attract up-and-coming research faculty who are recruited in a tenure-track position. More info:

October

• • Castro Lab welcomes three members to the group: Gustavo Medina (ECE Undergrad), Heber Moya (BME Master student), and Kevin Moreno (BME Ph.D. student). Welcome you all!

• • Castro Lab welcomes a new member: Yamilet Garcia-Rocha (ECE Undergrad) Welcome Yamilet!

September

• • Dr. Castro started as reviewer in the IEEE Sensors Journal. More info:

• • Dr. Castro is highlighted in the Research & Innovation Updates section, "Meet our Featured PI: Dr. Jorge Manrique Castro” of the Research & Innovation Newsletter at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ, Fall Issue, 2024.

• • Dr. Castro is appointed as Faculty Associate for Biomedical Engineering (BME) at the College of Engineering. More info:

/engineering/mmbme/people/faculty-associates-for-bme.html

• • Dr. Castro attended the Advanced Packaging Co-Design/EDA Technical Symposium organized by Texas A&M Semiconductor Institute. More info:

• • Castro Lab website is approved by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ MarkComm and officially launched!

/engineering/castrolab/

August

• • Dr. Castro started as reviewer in the IEEE Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems. More info:

• • Castro Lab space is established in the Engineering Building (Room E-306). PI's Office is also assigned (Room E-307).
  • Dr. Jorge Manrique Castro started as Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track) in the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ. More info:

/newsfeed/2024/august/utep-welcomes-new-faculty-members.html

/provost/faculty/new-faculty-profiles-2024-2025.html

/engineering/ece/people/faculty.html