01
April
2011
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00:00 AM
Europe/Amsterdam

Pitt professor′s contributions to bioengineering recognized with prestigious 2011 Van C. Mow Medal, the only institution with faculty who have received the award twice since it was established in 2004

David Vorp, a Pitt professor of bioengineering and surgery whose research combines human blood vessels with mechanical theory, has been awarded the American Society of Mechanical Engineers′ 2011 Van C. Mow Medal, one of the most prestigious awards in engineering. The annual prize recognizes notable and lasting contributions to the field of bioengineering.

Vorp is the second Pitt professor to win the award since 2009, joining Michael Sacks, the John A. Swanson Endowed Chair of bioengineering. Pitt is the only institution with faculty who have received the award twice since it was established in 2004 to honor the eponymous founder of Columbia University′s biomedical engineering department. Other past recipients have represented such institutions as Duke University, Rice University, and the University of California at Berkeley.

As a researcher, Vorp focuses on vascular biomechanics and how the structure of vessels contributes to various medical conditions. His current projects include studying the mechanisms of abdominal aortic aneurysm rupture, the urethra and stress urinary incontinence, and aneurysm weakening. He also works on the design of tissue-engineered blood vessels.

Vorp serves as a director of the Center for Vascular Remodeling and Regeneration and as director of the Vascular Surgery and Vascular Biomechanics Research Lab, both based in the Pitt-UPMC McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

For more information, contact Pitt News Representative Morgan Kelly at 412-624-4356 (office),
412-897-1400 (cell), mekelly@pitt.edu



Contact: Paul Kovach