02
June
2021
|
22:13 PM
Europe/Amsterdam

Wagner and Woo Inducted as Fellows of IAMBE

Two bioengineering faculty members from the University of Pittsburgh were elected as Fellows of the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE). William R. Wagner and Savio L-Y. Woo were selected for this competitive election alongside 24 other internationally recognized leaders in the field. To date, there are fewer than 250 Fellows of the Academy throughout the world.

Dr. Wagner was selected “for pioneering contributions to regenerative medicine and for integrating engineering expertise within the clinical environment, and championing innovation investment at the state and national level.” Dr. Woo’s election is “for pivotal contributions and leadership in biomechanics and bioengineering, leading to revolutionary treatments and rehabilitation strategies for improved patient care for ligament and tendon injuries worldwide.”

“IAMBE Fellowship recognizes an individual for his/her outstanding contributions to the profession of medical and biological engineering,” said Sanjeev G. Shroff, Distinguished Professor and Gerald E. McGinnis Chair of Bioengineering at Pitt. “I am delighted to note that two of our colleagues, Dr. Savio Woo and Dr. William Wagner, were among the 26 IAMBE Fellows elected worldwide this year. Both of them have made seminal contributions to the field of bioengineering through their research, mentoring, and professional service and leadership, and they both are most deserving of this recognition. We are proud and honored to have them as a part of the Pitt bioengineering community.”

About William R. Wagner
Director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Distinguished Professor of Surgery, Bioengineering and Chemical Engineering

Dr. Wagner serves as Scientific Director of the NSF Engineering Research Center on “Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials” and Chief Science Officer for the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine. He is the Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief of one of the leading biomaterials journals, Acta Biomaterialia. He is past-president of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) and past chairman of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) Americas region. He is a fellow and former vice president of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and has also been elected a fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society, the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering, TERMIS, and the American Heart Association. In 2006 he was selected to the “Scientific American 50,” the magazine’s annual list recognizing leaders in science and technology from the research, business and policy fields.

Dr. Wagner's research interests are in cardiovascular engineering with projects that address medical device biocompatibility and design, biomaterial development, and tissue engineering. His work has generated numerous patents (36 issued to date) and patent filings that have resulted in licensing activity, the formation of two companies, one of which initiated two clinical trials. (Read more)

About Savio L-Y. Woo
Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering

Dr. Woo is the Founder and Director of the Musculoskeletal Research Center, a diverse multidisciplinary research and educational center in the Department of Bioengineering at Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering. He arrived at the University in 1990 after spending 20 years at the University of California, San Diego as a Professor of Surgery and Bioengineering. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine (1991) (formerly the Institute of Medicine), the National Academy of Engineering (1994), and the Academia Sinica (1996), only one of five persons who have gained all three of these honors.

Dr. Woo, a pioneer in bioengineering, is renowned for his 50 years of translational research and education to improve healing and repair of soft tissues. He and his colleagues have published 311 original research papers that have led to paradigm shifts in clinical management to improve patient outcomes. He has educated more than 500 orthopaedic surgeons, post-doctoral fellows and students from across the globe and has also successfully mentored 37 junior faculty members. (Read more)