Robert A. Malkin

Professor of the Practice Emeritus in the Department of Biomedical Engineering

Professor Malkin is interested in medical instrumentation in the developing world.

Dr. Malkin is also the founder of Engineering World Health and the Global Public Service Academies. These unique study abroad programs allow undergraduates (EWH) and high school students (GPSA) to study and work in developing world healthcare settings.

Dr. Malkin also conducts research and development focused on medical equipment in the developing world.

Professor Malkin's work on medical instrumentation in the developing world has been supported by Engineering World Health, The National Institutes of Health, The American Heart Association, The Whitaker Foundation, the National Science Foundation and other organizations.

The DHT-Lab runs educational programs such as the EWH Summer Institute and formal classes and provides research and product development opportunities for undergraduates interested in developing world healthcare technology.

Engineering World Health Summer Institute is a unique study abroad program that allows undergraduates to study and work in developing world hospitals. Dr. Malkin and his associates have helped hospitals in Sudan, Nigeria, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Haiti, Liberia, Sierra Leone and many other places. If you came to this site looking for high school programs, consider visiting the Global Public Service Academies a non-Duke program run by Dr. Malkin.

Appointments and Affiliations

  • Professor of the Practice Emeritus in the Department of Biomedical Engineering
  • Affiliate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society

Contact Information

Education

  • B.S. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1984
  • M.S. Duke University, 1990
  • Ph.D. Duke University, 1993

Research Interests

Research and development of medical equipment in the developing world.

In the News

Representative Publications

  • Bhatt, Eeshta, and Robert A. Malkin. “Errors in Metered Dose Inhaler Use Amongst Pediatric Asthma Patients.” Journal of Asthma and Allergy 16 (January 2023): 1259–65. https://doi.org/10.2147/jaa.s435197.
  • Bucholz, E. K., and R. A. Malkin. “Creating a biomedical engineering summer study abroad program in Costa Rica.” In ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition, Conference Proceedings, 2019.
  • Malkin, R., and B. Teninty. “Medical imaging in global public health: Donation, procurement, installation, and maintenance.” In Radiology in Global Health: Strategies, Implementation, and Applications, 77–83, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98485-8_8.
  • Emmerling, D., P. W. Sholar, and R. A. Malkin. “A sustainability evaluation of a biomedical technician training program in Honduras.” Health and Technology 8, no. 4 (September 1, 2018): 291–300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12553-018-0241-7.
  • Emmerling, D., A. Dahinten, and R. A. Malkin. “Problems with systems of medical equipment provision: an evaluation in Honduras, Rwanda and Cambodia identifies opportunities to strengthen healthcare systems.” Health and Technology 8, no. 1–2 (May 1, 2018): 129–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12553-017-0210-6.