Social
Location
Rhodes Hall 230C
Mailing Address
One University Plaza, MS 6400
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
I have looked at the world as an Analytical Chemist for some time. As an undergraduate student I had the opportunity to work at the National Animal Disease lab studying toxins in feeds. Upon obtaining my Ph.D. I worked at a start-up company with 3 employees in New Orleans making enzyme-based electrochemical sensors. My next position with one of the largest healthcare companies, Abbott Laboratories, where I remained for over 20 years and rose to be a corporate research fellow. While in the Hospital Products Division, I helped bring more than 10 hospital products to market, including the world's leading anesthesia gas, Sevoflurane, used in 95% of all major surgeries. After helping Abbott get into the blood glucose monitoring business, I discovered a way to obtain enhanced amount of blood from a lancet wound on the arm, or area less sensitive than the finger, using vacuum and skin stretching. This discovery led to development of the Sof-Tact™ blood glucose meter. Later in the Diagnostics Division, I led a process engineering group responsible for yearly production of $1 billion dollars of immunoassay reagents used in hospital laboratory instruments and in instruments used by blood banks to test for viruses including HIV and hepatitis.

I left industry to pursue my interest in teaching. One opportunity that arose was working with Forensic Science teachers and practitioners. So, I helped train students for drug and toxicology lab work and became involved in the Forensic Science community. And, I helped set-up a new Professional Master's Degree program in the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky.

My hobbies include reading (novels mainly), following soccer, camping and kayaking. I have two children, Tim and Clare, with my wonderful wife Pat.

Fun Fact: I co-authored a paper with one of the few electrochemists to appear on the cover of Time magazine.

MOST RECENT/NOTABLE PUBLISHED WORK

D. Cunningham, 2018, “Analysis of Trace Drugs of Abuse by Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) Mass Spectrometry”, In: “Analysis of Drugs of Abuse”, R. Musah, Springer.
Analysis of Trace Drugs of Abuse by Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) Mass Spectrometry | SpringerLink

D. Cunningham and J. Jenkins, 2016, “Facilitating Self Reflection as a Metacognitive Tool”, In: It Works for Me, Metacognitively: Shared Tips for Effective Teaching”, H. Blythe, C. Sweet, R. Carpenter, New Forums Press, 74-77. ISBN: 1-58107-293-7
It Works for Me, Metacognitively: Shared Tips for Effective Teaching: Blythe Phd, Hal, Sweet PhD, Charlie, Carpenter, Russell: 9781581072938: Amazon.com: Books

D. Cunningham, 2010, “Transdermal Microfluidic Continuous Monitoring”, In: In Vivo Glucose Sensing, D. Cunningham and J. Stenken, John Wiley & Sons, 191-216
In Vivo Glucose Sensing - Google Books

D. Cunningham, T. Henning, E. Shain, J. Hanning, E. Barua and R. Lee “Blood Extraction from Lancet Wounds Using Vacuum Combined with Skin Stretching”, Journal of Applied Physiology, 2002, 92 1089-1096. 
Blood extraction from lancet wounds using vacuum combined with skin stretching (physiology.org)

D. Cunningham “Fluidics and Sample Handling in Clinical Chemical Analysis”, Analytica Chimica Acta, 2001, 429 1-18.
Fluidics and sample handling in clinical chemical analysis - ScienceDirect

D. Cunningham, S. Huang, J. Webster, J. Mayoral and R.W. Grabenkort “Sevoflurane Degradation to Compound A in Anesthesia Breathing Systems”, British Journal of Anaesthesia, 1996, 77 537-543. 
Sevoflurane degradation to compound A in anaesthesia breathing systems. (sciencedirectassets.com)

A. Czerwinski, D. Cunningham, H. Zimmer, A. Amer, C. Pham, H. Mark and B. Pons."The Electrochemical Behavior in Aqueous Media of Conducting Polymers (II): The Insoluble Fractions Obtained on the Cu(II) Catalyzed Polymerization of 2,5-Dibromo-3-"group IV"-Substituted Thiophenes; Substituent Effects", Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 1987, 134 1158-1164.
1140.tif (iop.org)