Dr Tim Angeli

BSE, MSE Mich., PhD

Senior Research Fellow

Biography

Tim Angeli is a Rutherford Discovery Fellow and Senior Research Fellow with the Gastrointestinal (GI) Research Group at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI). His research focuses on in vivo measurement and monitoring of GI electrophysiology, with a specific focus on developing new diagnostic devices and interventional therapeutics for functional GI disorders. He research is currently supported by the Health Research Council of New Zealand, and a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship from the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Tim originally joined the GI Research Group at the ABI in December 2009 as a PhD student. His PhD research investigated the underlying electrophysiological control of the small intestine using high-resolution electrical mapping, and he received his PhD in early 2014.

Prior to joining the ABI in New Zealand, Tim attended the University of Michigan, USA, where he graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Engineering (2008) and Master of Science in Engineering (2009), both in Biomedical Engineering. He investigated new methods of drug delivery based on the human body's natural immune response for his Master's research, and also worked at a biotechnology company where he was involved in the research and development of a bioartificial kidney.

Research | Current

Tim is currently focused on developing new technologies for mapping, monitoring, and modulating gastrointestinal (GI) electrical activity, which is a vital controlling mechanism of digestion. His work is largely conducted across the fields of bioengineering, physiology, and medicine, with a specific aim of achieving new levels of clinical understanding for currently under-defined GI disorders, as well as developing new electrophysiologically-based diagnostics and therapeutics for those disorders.

Project links

Modelling the Gastrointestinal System, Auckland Bioengineering Institute
Diagnosis and Therapy of Gastric Dysrhythmias, MedTech Centre of Research Excellence

International Collaborations

Professor Gianrico Farrugia, Mayo Clinic, MN, USA.
Professor Thomas L. Abell, University of Louisville, KY, USA.
Associate Professor Jonathon Erickson, Washington and Lee University, VA, USA.

Postgraduate supervision

Graduate student positions available! Dr Angeli has a number of funded Masters and PhD positions currently available. If you are a high-achieving student interested in a Masters or PhD in biomedical engineering, please contact Dr Angeli for details (t.angeli@auckland.ac.nz).

Current PhD Students:
Alexander Chan, 2018-present, Development of an analysis pipeline for endoscopic gastric electrical mapping.
Zahra Aghababaie, 2018-present, Targeted ablation therapy for treatment of gastrointestinal dysrhythmias.
Tim Wang, 2017-present (part-time), Advances in the investigation and management of post-operative gastric arrhythmias.

Completed ME Students:
Nova Belle Pavel Nagalakshmi, 2020, Defining the consistency of gastric slow wave signal morphology.
Kiara Miller, 2020, Slow wave mapping of the rabbit small intestine, ceacum, and colon.
Abhishek Kamat, 2019, Determining the effects of electrode diameter and protrusion on signal morphology of gastrointestinal bioelectrical recordings.
Ashley Abraham, 2019, Quantification of high-resolution rabbit intestine slow wave dynamics.

Distinctions/Honours

2019-2023: Rutherford Discovery Fellowship, Royal Society of New Zealand.
2017-2018: Edith C. Coan Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Auckland Medical Research Foundation, NZ.
2017: Early Career Research Excellence Award, University of Auckland, NZ.
2016: Vice Chancellor's Research Excellence Award, University of Auckland, NZ.
2016: Young Investigator Award for Best Poster Presentation, American Gastroenterological Association, USA.
2015: Best Paper / Presentation Award, NZ Society of Gastroenterology Conference, NZ.
2013: Distinguished Young Investigator Award for Best Clinical Presentation, Neurogastroenterology and Motility Conference, USA.
2013: Young Investigator Award for Top Abstract, Neurogastroenterology and Motility Conference, USA.
2012: R.H.T. Bates Postgraduate Scholarship, Royal Society of NZ.
2011: Baxter Healthcare Young Investigator Award for Best Presentation, New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology Conference, NZ.
2011: First Place, 'Exposure' Postgraduate Research Oral Presentation Competition, University of Auckland, NZ.
2011: Best Presentation, Riddet Institute Student Colloquium, NZ.
2010: 'Chiasma i-Volve' Award for Best Biotechnology Entry, 'SPARK' Entrepreneurship Ideas Challenge, University of Auckland, NZ.
2009-2012: Earle Food Research Scholar, Riddet Institute, NZ.
2009: James B. Angell Scholar, University of Michigan, USA.
2008: Magna Cum Laude Graduation Honours, University of Michigan, USA.

Responsibilities

Senior Research Fellow, Auckland Bioengineering Institute
Rutherford Discovery Fellow, Royal Society of New Zealand
Associate Investigator, MedTech Centre of Research Excellence
Affiliated Researcher, Riddet Institute Centre of Research Excellence

Areas of expertise

Biomedical Engineering
Electrophysiology
Gastrointestinal Motility
Translational Experimentation
Experimental Physiology

Committees/Professional groups/Services

Academic Service (Present)

2018-Present: Research Committee Member, Auckland Bioengineering Institute
2018-Present: Human Ethics Committee Member, Auckland Bioengineering Institute
2016-Present: Social Committee Member, Auckland Bioengineering Institute
2015-Present: Prospective Student Interviewer, Hometown Alumni Involvement Link ('HAIL'), University of Michigan, College of Engineering

Professional Societies

2019-Present: Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers (IEEE)
2019-Present: Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS)
2017-Present: Australasian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association (ANGMA)
2016-Present: Auckland Medical Research Foundation (AMRF)
2015-Present: American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society (ANMS)
2015-Present: International Gastrointestinal Electrophysiology Society (iGES)
2010-Present: New Zealand Society of Gastroenterology (NZSG)
2010-Present: Physiological Society of New Zealand (PSNZ)

Selected publications and creative works (Research Outputs)

Sayat, M., Aghababaie, Z., Cheng, L. K., Paskaranandavadivel, N., Avci, R., Rickus, J., ... Angeli, T. R. (2020). Transmural Temperature Monitoring to Quantify Thermal Conduction and Lesion Formation during Gastric Ablation, an Emerging Therapy for Gastric Dysrhythmias. Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBS. 10.1109/EMBC44109.2020.9176026
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Nira Paskaranandavadivel
Avci, R., Paskaranandavadivel, N., Eichler, C. E., Lam, B. Y. C., Angeli, T. R., Bradshaw, L. A., & Cheng, L. K. (2020). Computational Reconstruction of 3D Stomach Geometry using Magnetic Field Source Localization. Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBS. 10.1109/EMBC44109.2020.9176431
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Nira Paskaranandavadivel
Athavale, O. N., Paskaranandavadivel, N., Angeli, T. R., Avci, R., & Cheng, L. K. (2020). Design of Pressure Sensor Arrays to Assess Electrode Contact Pressure during in Vivo Recordings in the Gut. Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBS. 10.1109/EMBC44109.2020.9175843
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Nira Paskaranandavadivel
Kuruppu, S., Cheng, L. K., Angeli, T. R., Avci, R., & Paskaranandavadivel, N. (2020). High-Resolution Mapping of Intestinal Spike Bursts and Motility. Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBS. 10.1109/EMBC44109.2020.9175879
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Nira Paskaranandavadivel
Miller, K. J. W., Cheng, L. K., Angeli, T. R., Avci, R., & Paskaranandavadivel, N. (2020). Design and Application of an Inflatable Cuff to Aid High-Resolution Intestinal Slow Wave Recordings. Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBS. 10.1109/EMBC44109.2020.9175219
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Nira Paskaranandavadivel
Chan, C. H. A., Aghababaie, Z., Paskaranandavadivel, N., Cheng, L. K., Avci, R., & Angeli, T. R. (2020). Trace Mapping: A New Visualization Technique for Analyzing Gastrointestinal High-Resolution Electrical Mapping Data. Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBS. 10.1109/EMBC44109.2020.9175476
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Nira Paskaranandavadivel
Nagahawatte, N. D., Paskaranandavadivel, N., Angeli, T. R., Cheng, L. K., & Avci, R. (2020). A Spatially-dense Microfabricated Photolithographic Electrode Array for Gastrointestinal Slow Wave Recordings<sup>∗</sup>. Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBS. 10.1109/EMBC44109.2020.9175780
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Nira Paskaranandavadivel
Aghababaie, Z., Jamart, K., Chan, C. H. A., Amirapu, S., Cheng, L. K., Paskaranandavadivel, N., ... Angeli, T. R. (2020). A V-Net Based Deep Learning Model for Segmentation and Classification of Histological Images of Gastric Ablation. Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBS. 10.1109/EMBC44109.2020.9176220
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Satya Amirapu, Nira Paskaranandavadivel