AIMBE's College of Fellows: Trailblazers in Academia, Industry and Government
The nearly 1,000 members of AIMBE's College of Fellows work daily throughout the technical and management spheres of medicine, academia, industry and government - leading the way in technological advancement, advocating for public policies that facilitate further progress and preparing young scientists and engineers to build on that progress in the decades to come.
Over the years, AIMBE Fellows have been at the leading edge of technological development, helping to revolutionize medicine, engineering and related fields that enhance and extend the lives of people all over the world. Counting several Nobel Prize winners among them, their work also helps protect the environment, leads to new national security safeguards and contributes to a better society in many other ways.
With fellows in every U.S. state - and in nations around the world - the College includes the heads of engineering and medical schools at major universities, along with some of the most respected professors and researchers at those institutions. Within academia, AIMBE Fellows are regularly recognized for their contributions in both teaching and research. Fellows are members of the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences. Fellows hold the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology.
AIMBE Fellows also can be found outside the field of engineering, working in clinical settings, and in government and industry.
As the array of companies and entire industries based on biotechnology and bioengineering has expanded rapidly, AIMBE Fellows have assumed leading roles in both their R&D and management functions, driving the movement of new medical technologies into the hands of clinicians. Fellows hold numerous patents that have helped make medical and biological engineering a major economic force in the U.S., generating $200 billion in revenue annually and supporting thousands of high-paying jobs.
In government, AIMBE Fellows hold a wide range of positions, from directing clinical studies to managing policy at the NIH, FDA, NSF and other agencies. Others serve in consulting and advisory roles to government. AIMBE Fellows have testified before Congress on a wide range of issues.
The Chair of the College leads the committee that plans the overall program at AIMBE's Annual Event, held each winter in Washington. Numerous Fellows are involved in planning the event, which showcases key issues and advancements in the field and also marks the induction of a new class of Fellows.
Outside their day-to-day responsibilities, many Fellows play leading roles not only in AIMBE but also in other respected professional associations and industry groups. AIMBE Fellows are recognized around the world for their writings (including both books and contributions to technical and academic journals) and their presentations at academic and industry conferences.
The number of women working in and leading the fields of medicine and technology continues to grow rapidly, and AIMBE's College of Fellows reflects that trend. By early 2006, 10 percent of AIMBE Fellows were female. Dr. Linda Lucas, Dean of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Engineering, is expected to become AIMBE's President-Elect in early 2006 and will assume leadership of the organization in 2007-2008. Women hold more leadership positions than ever within the Institute; their presence and prominence were instrumental in establishment of The AIMBE Center of Excellence for Advancing Women in Bioengineering: Beautiful Minds, the primary purpose of which is to increase female representation in bioengineering at all levels.
AIMBE Fellows also devote their time to educating the general public about the importance of bioengineering to society and to encouraging more young people to focus their education and career on the field. Local science centers and school systems have benefited from the Fellows' work, both paid and voluntary. And journalists across the country turn to AIMBE Fellows for insights as they cover the rapid advances and biotechnology and bioengineering, along with the challenges facing both the field and society.
AIMBE's College of Fellows is comprised of true trailblazers - men and women who drive change and innovation across a field that has made medical procedures less invasive and more effective, saving lives and improving daily life all around the world.
AIMBE Fellows In the Spotlight
- John Linehan, PhD
AIMBE Founding Fellow (since 1993) and Past President (1999) Consulting Professor of Bioengineering, Department of Bioengineering Program in Biodesign, Stanford University
- Joe Andrade, PhD
AIMBE Founding Fellow (since 1993) Board Member and Former Chairman, The Leonardo Foundation
- Martha Bidez, PhD
AIMBE Fellow (since 2000) Chair/Founding CEO, BioHorizons Implant Systems, Inc.