Fabrisia Ambrosio and Ramakrishna Mukkamala elected to AIMBE 2022 Class of Fellows
Two University of Pittsburgh faculty are the newest members among the 153 elected this month to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows, in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in medical and biological engineering.
Fabrisia Ambrosio, PhD, MPT (Primary: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Secondary: Department of Bioengineering) was selected for “outstanding contributions to the novel field of Regenerative Rehabilitation, integrating applied biophysics and cellular therapeutics to optimize tissue function”. Ambrosio's research has the long-term goal of developing Regenerative Rehabilitation approaches to improve the skeletal muscle healing and functional recovery. Her laboratory uses murine and human models to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which targeted and specific mechanotransductive signals can be used to enhance donor and/or host stem cell functionality. She is also the Director of Rehabilitation for UPMC International.
Ramakrishna Mukkamala, PhD (Primary: Department of Bioengineering and Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine; Secondary: Electrical and Computer Engineering) was elected for “pioneering contributions to developing and advancing novel, physiology-based hemodynamic monitoring technologies.” His research interests include cardiovascular engineering and include computational physiology, medical devices, mHealth, patient monitoring, physiologic sensors, and physiologic signal processing and modeling.
They are among 32 current faculty in Pitt’s School of Medicine and Swanson School of Engineering named AIMBE Fellows. College of Fellows membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering and medicine research, practice, or education” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to bioengineering education.”
“AIMBE Fellowship is a tremendous honor – only the top two percent of medical and biological engineers are elected,” noted Sanjeev G. Shroff, Distinguished Professor and Gerald E. McGinnis Chair of Bioengineering at the Swanson School and himself an AIMBE Fellow. “I am especially proud of the contributions that Fabrisia and Rama bring to our program and Pitt with respect to academics and research. I congratulate them on this phenomenonal testament to their careers.”
AIMBE Fellows are among the most distinguished medical and biological engineers including 3 Nobel Prize laureates, 18 Fellows having received the Presidential Medal of Science and/or Technology and Innovation, and 201 also inducted to the National Academy of Engineering, 101 inducted to the National Academy of Medicine and 45 inducted to the National Academy of Sciences.
###
ABOUT AIMBE
Established in 1991, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., representing the most accomplished individuals in the fields of medical and biological engineering. No other organization can bring together academia, industry, government, and scientific societies to form a highly influential community advancing medical and biological engineering. AIMBE’s mission is to provide leadership and advocacy in medical and biological engineering for the benefit of society.
Current University of Pittsburgh AIMBE Fellows
| Name | Appointment(s) | Year Elected |
| 1. Fabrisia Ambrosio, PhD, MPT | Associate Professor, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation | 2022 |
| 2. Ramakrishna Mukkamala, PhD | Professor, Bioengineering and Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine | 2022 |
| 3. Heng Huang, PhD | John A. Jurenko Endowed Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering | 2020 |
| 4. Alicia M. Koontz, PhD | Professor, Human Engineering Research Laboratories | 2020 |
| 5. Lance A. Davidson, PhD | Professor, Department of Bioengineering | 2018 |
| 6. Richard E. Debski, PhD | Professor of Bioengineering and Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Bioengineering | 2018 |
| 7. Jonathan Vande Geest, PhD | Professor, Bioengineering | 2018 |
| 8. Xinyan Tracy Cui, PhD | William Kepler Whiteford Professor of Bioengineering, Department of Bioengineering | 2016 |
| 9. Steven R. Little, PhD | William Kepler Whiteford Professor and Chair, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering; Professor of Bioengineering, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Immunology, Ophthalmology and The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine; University Honors College Faculty Fellow, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering | 2016 |
| 10. Robert M. Nishikawa, PhD | Professor, Department of Radiology | 2016 |
| 11. Ronald K. Poropatich, M.D. | Colonel, Retired, US Army and Professor of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh and Executive Director, Center for Military Medicine Research, University of Pittsburgh and Senior Advisor for Telemedicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Adjunct Professor of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, Dept. of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine | 2016 |
| 12. James H-C. Wang, PhD | Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Bioengineering | 2016 |
| 13. Prashant Kumta, PhD | Edward R. Weidlein Chair, Professor | 2011 |
| 14. Patrick Loughlin, PhD | William Kepler Professor of Bioengineering and Electrical & Computer Engineering | 2009 |
| 15. Fernando Boada, PhD | Director, MR Research Center | 2008 |
| 16. D. Lansing Taylor, PhD | Director, Drug Discovery Institute; Allegheny Foundation Professor | 2008 |
| 17. Alan D. Hirschman, PhD | Visiting Professor, Bioengineering | 2007 |
| 18. George Stetten, M.D., PhD | Professor of Bioengineering | 2006 |
| 19. Mingui Sun, PhD | Professor, Neurological Surgery | 2006 |
| 20. David A. Vorp, PhD | William Kepler Whiteford Professor, Professor of Bioengineering, Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Surgery | 2005 |
| 21. David M. Brienza, PhD | Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology | 2004 |
| 22. Michael L. Boninger, M.D. | Senior Associate Medical Director, Human Engineering Research Laboratory | 2003 |
| 23. Marina V. Kameneva, PhD | Research Professor of Surgery and Bioengineering | 2002 |
| 24. William J. Federspiel, PhD | Professor of Chemical Engineering, Surgery and Bioengineering | 1999 |
| 25. Mark Redfern, PhD | Professor, Bioengineering | 1999 |
| 26. Sanjeev Shroff, PhD | Distinguished Professor and McGinnis Chair, Bioengineering | 1999 |
| 27. Stephen F. Badylak, DVM, PhD, MD | Professor, Department of Surgery | 1998 |
| 28. Rory A. Cooper, PhD | Founding Director and VA Senior Research Career Scientist, Human Engineering Research Laboratories | 1998 |
| 29. Harvey S. Borovetz, PhD | Professor of Bioengineering | 1994 |
| 30. Freddie H. Fu, M.D. | Chairman, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery | 1993 |
| 31. Tin-Kan Hung, PhD | Professor, Civil Engineering, Neurological Surgery, and Bioengineering | 1993 |
| 32. Savio Woo, PhD, D.Sc., D.Eng. | Distinguished University Professor and Director Musculoskeletal Research Center | 1992 |