Gregor Ocvirk's Biography

Gregor Ocvirk, Group Head, Roche Diagnostics GmbH

Dr. Gregor Ocvirk has been leader of the Detection & Analysis lab at Roche Diagnostics R&D in Mannheim, Germany, since 2007. The Detection & Analysis lab includes facilities for microscopic, metrological, spectroscopic and electrochemical analysis, clean room assembly and pilot manufacturing of device prototypes. Gregor received his PhD and Diploma in (Analytical) Chemistry from University of Alberta (1999) and Technical University of Vienna (1994), respectively, working with Prof. Jed Harrison and Prof. Andreas Manz on the very first microfluidic HPLC, CE and cell assay chips. From 2000 - 2002 he continued his work with microfluidic devices as a postdoctoral fellow at Roche Diagnostics Patient Care, with the emphasis on microfluidic plasma skimming and the integration of blood sampling and analyte detection into one disposable device. His primary focus as project leader and group head at Roche Diagnostics has subsequently been the development of miniaturized sensors, catheters and pumps for medical diagnostics. In particular, the development of a novel accurate, precise and reliable continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system led him to develop a wide range of analytical methods for characterization of material properties and device function. Having been instrumental in building suitable manufacturing facilities for production of CGM prototypes allowing for early clinical testing, he has been directing major efforts towards early-phase use of automated inspection methods and scalable manufacturing methods. More recently he and his multidisciplinary team have also been involved in the development of insulin infusion systems.