“Calvin’s research is focused on a non-invasive diabetes treatment via a wearable device that can be worn while sleeping. It has the potential to completely transform diabetes treatment and the quality of life for millions of people.” – Shelly Campo, Associate Dean for Administrative Affairs

• Hometown: Staten Island, NYC
• Faculty mentor/advisor: Val Sheffield, MD PhD, Professor and Co-Founder, Iowa Vision Research Institute; Dale Abel, MD PhD, Professor Endocrinology and Chair of Medicine, UCLA Health; Douglas Spitz, PhD, Professor and Director of the Free Radical and Radiation Biology Program, Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center
• What is your degree program and expected graduate date? PhD, Neuroscience–Postdoctoral Fellow
• Please describe your research: WiFi, Bluetooth and cell phone fields are everywhere yet we don’t understand how these fields affect the human body. I study how these electromagnetic fields affect human biology. My goal is to harness these energy fields to build the next generation of breakthrough medicines that cure disease with the press of a button.
• In simple terms, why does this research matter?  The electromagnetic spectrum is a gold mine of discoveries to be made. Many of these electromagnetic fields may be toxic. Yet, some of these fields may treat diabetes or cure cancer. Understanding which fields are therapeutic and which are toxic will help us to develop new cures while avoiding technologies that could shorten our lives. Recently, I’ve discovered beneficial fields which can be used to control blood sugar. The implications are huge and indicate that blood sugar can be managed using a remote control that delivers the right signals!
• How soon after starting at the University of Iowa were you able to participate in research? Immediately
• How has being involved in research made you more successful at the University of Iowa? Research allows me to exercise my curiosity and creativity. Research has opened the door to meeting some of the most remarkable humans on the planet and has provided an outlet to test ideas, take chances, and build things that help people. Research has been the foundation of my medical device startup, GeminiiHealth, where we are focused on building wearable medicines that use electromagnetic fields to cure disease.
• What are your career goals and/or plans after graduation? My goal is to build the next generation of safe and effective medicines which are so easy to use, they can be administered while we sleep. Remote controlled electromagnetic medicines are the next big revolution in healthcare.
• Does your research have connections to or implications for COVID-19? Please explain.When COVID hit in early 2020, Dr. Sheffield’s lab stepped up and created a COVID spit test to allow for rapid testing without using medical items that were in short supply (e.g. nasal swabs, PPE etc). Over the course of the past year, we have made a big impact in the community by providing free COVID testing with support from the Carver Trust, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa Wesleyan University and Senators Romney and Ernst.

Banner location: Downtown—Washington Street