Kumbakonam R. Rajagopal, PhD was a Texas A&M University Distinguished Professor, Regents Professor, and J.M. Forsyth Chair Professor of Mechanical Engineering, internationally recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities in continuum mechanics, nonlinear materials, and applied mathematics. Joining Texas A&M University in 1996, he held faculty appointments across numerous disciplines—including mechanical, biomedical, civil, chemical, and ocean engineering, as well as mathematics—reflecting the broad impact of his research. His pioneering work on constitutive modeling, non-Newtonian fluid mechanics, biomechanics, and material behavior fundamentally advanced the fields of engineering science and applied mechanics, influencing applications ranging from aerospace and transportation to biomedical engineering. Dr. Rajagopal authored more than 745 peer-reviewed publications and 10 books, mentored generations of engineers and scientists, and served for over 15 years as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Engineering Science. His groundbreaking contributions earned numerous international honors, including the ASME Worcester Reed Warner Medal, the Eringen Medal from the Society of Engineering Science, and multiple honorary doctorates from leading universities worldwide. He was also a member of the Indian National Academy of Engineering. Dr. Rajagopal passed away in March 2025, leaving an enduring legacy through his transformative scholarship, exceptional mentorship, and profound influence on modern continuum mechanics and engineering science.

Dr. Ehman is best known for his groundbreaking work in medical imaging, specifically in nuclear magnetic resonance and its use in diagnosing a variety of conditions. He is also credited with developing magnetic resonance elastography, which allows physicians to determine the stiffness of internal organs without invasive procedures. His research program is focused on developing new imaging technologies. Dr. Ehman holds more than 40 patents, and many of these inventions are widely used in medical care. His research has been supported by competitive grants from the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, and the National Institute of Aging. Dr. Ehman is a prolific author, with over 600 published articles, books, book chapters, abstracts and commentaries. Focus areas: Medical imaging. Dr. Ehman's studies include investigation of new methods for high resolution MRI of moving structures, techniques of ultrafast MRI and methods for noninvasive mapping of the vascular system, especially the coronary arteries. Studies of the basic physics of motion effects in the magnetic resonance data acquisition process have led to the development of "navigator echo" imaging techniques that are highly suited for resolving structures that are in motion. Vascular flow. Other studies employ MRI to quantitatively assess vascular flow characteristics such as velocity, volumetric rates, and disordered flow or turbulence. MRI innovation. Additional research is directed at developing novel MRI techniques to probe bone trabecular morphology, to measure cellular organization in space and to noninvasively delineate the mechanical properties of the tissue. The objective of the latter project is to develop a technique for "palpation by imaging" to detect cancer and other tissue abnormalities at an early stage. Dr. Ehman's research employs MRI to directly image propagating acoustic waves in tissues, allowing images of viscoelastic properties to be generated. Significance to patient care The overarching objective of Dr. Ehman's research is to improve patient outcomes by providing tools for earlier and more accurate diagnosis of coronary diseases, cancers and other tissue abnormalities. Professional highlights: President, Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), 2017; Society of Computed Body Tomography and Magnetic Resonance, 2013-2014; Academy of Radiology Research, 2012-2014; International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 2002-2003 Blanche R. and Richard J. Erlanger Professor of Medical Research, 2015 Member (2010-2013) and chair (2014-2015), board of directors, RSNA Distinguished Investigator Award, Mayo Clinic, 2014 Inducted into the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine, 2010 Outstanding Researcher Award, RSNA, 2006

Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, began a 6-year term as president of the National Academy of Medicine on July 1, 2026. She will also serve as Vice Chair of the National Research Council, which houses the majority of programs within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Bertagnolli’s elected leadership team includes NAM Council Vice Chair Linda A. McCauley, Home Secretary Bob Phillips, and International Secretary Carlos del Rio. Bertagnolli previously served as the 17th Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the 16th Director of the National Cancer Institute. A surgical oncologist and physician-scientist, her research has advanced understanding of the role of genetics and inflammation in gastrointestinal cancers and soft-tissue sarcomas. Bertagnolli served as Chief of Surgical Oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and is the Richard E. Wilson Professor of Surgery Emerita at Harvard Medical School. A past president and chair of the board of directors for the American Society of Clinical Oncology, she has also served on the boards of the American Cancer Society and the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Throughout her career, Bertagnolli has championed collaborative efforts to build a learning health system by transforming the data infrastructure for clinical research, including by spearheading the mCODE initiative, which enabled standardized oncology data exchange, and DataCOUNTS, an NIH program managing data to drive a learning health system. Bertagnolli was elected as a member of the NAM in 2021 and is the first woman to serve as its president. She graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree and attended medical school at the University of Utah. Bertagnolli succeeds Victor J. Dzau, MD, who served from 2014 to 2026. In July 2026, Dzau returned to Duke University as James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Chancellor Emeritus for Health Affairs, and Director of the Mandel Center for Hypertension and Atherosclerosis.

Dr. Glass, MD, PhD became President of CMB on April 15, 2023. He brings to this role four decades of experience in global health, including leadership roles in public service, research, capacity building, and international collaboration. Most recently, Dr. Glass served as the longest-serving Director of the Fogarty International Center (2006-2023) and as the Associate Director for International Research at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). At the Fogarty International Center, he led efforts to support and facilitate global health research conducted by U.S. and international investigators, building partnerships between health research institutions in the United States and abroad, and training the next generation of scientists to address global health needs. During his tenure, NIH helped launch the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, partnered with PEPFAR to support the Medical Education Partnership Initiative in Africa, joined the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD), and launched the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Initiative, followed by Harnessing Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa), to build research capacity on the African continent by African scientists. Dr. Glass spent much of his career at the U.S. Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC), starting as a medical officer assigned to the Environmental Hazards Branch in 1977. On secondment from CDC, he worked as a Scientist at the International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh from 1979-1983. In 1984, he joined the National Institutes of Health Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, where he worked on the molecular biology of rotavirus. In 1986, Dr. Glass returned to the CDC to become Chief of the Viral Gastroenteritis Unit at the National Center for Infectious Diseases. Dr. Glass’s research interests include the prevention of gastroenteritis from rotaviruses and other agents through the application of novel scientific research. He has maintained field studies in India, Bangladesh, Brazil, Mexico, Israel, Russia, Vietnam, China and elsewhere. His research has been targeted toward epidemiologic studies to anticipate the introduction of rotavirus vaccines. He has co-authored more than 600 research papers and chapters. Dr. Glass graduated from Harvard College in 1967, received a Fulbright Fellowship to study at the University of Buenos Aires in 1967, and received his MD from Harvard Medical School and his MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health in 1972. He received his PhD in Medical Microbiology from the University of Goteborg, Sweden in 1984. Dr. Glass has received numerous awards including the prestigious Charles C. Shepard Lifetime Scientific Achievement Award presented by the CDC in recognition of his 30-year career of scientific research application and leadership and the Dr. Charles Merieux Award from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases for his work on rotavirus vaccines in the developing world. The Consortium of Universities of Global Health – an organization he helped found – presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award in Global Health in April 2023, only the second time it has made such an award in its history. He also is the recipient of the Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal Award, Georgetown University’s Cura Personalis Award, Research!America’s Geoffrey Beene Builders of Science Award, Rice University’s Rice 360˚ Institute for Global Health Award, and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine.

Sarah “Holly” Hollingsworth Lisanby, MD, DLFAPA, an internationally renowned innovator of neuromodulation technologies, has a track record of visionary senior leadership in academic medicine and federal government. She is the Founding Dean and Foundation Professor of the Arizona State University (ASU) John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering and Professor Emeritus at the Duke University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Prior to her current role at ASU, Dr. Lisanby served as the Founding Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Division of Translational Research which funds a portfolio of research directed towards the discovery of preventions, treatments, and cures for mental illness across the lifespan. She played a leading role in the NIH BRAIN Initiative, having co-led the team focused on large-scale neural recording and modulation devices, and co-led the Brain Behavior Quantification and Synchronization (BBQS) program which supports the development of next generation hardware, software, and informatics tools to link brain and behavior at high temporal and spatial resolution. Formerly Chair of the Duke Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science and JP Gibbons Endowed Professor with Tenure, she founded and directed both the Duke University and the Columbia University Divisions of Brain Stimulation, where she built interdisciplinary research programs specializing in the convergence of Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Engineering. She also founded and directed the NIMH Noninvasive Neuromodulation Unit (NNU), an intramural research lab specializing in the development and first-in-human testing of novel brain stimulation devices. A prolific author with over 300 scientific publications, she has received national and international recognition, including the Distinguished Investigator Award from the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (NARSAD), the Max Hamilton Memorial Prize of the Collegium Internationale Neuro-Psychopharmacologicum (CINP), the Gerald Klerman Award from the National Depression and Manic Depression Association (NDMDA), and the Eva King Killam Research Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP). Dr. Lisanby was elected as a member of the American Association of Physicians, and as a Fellow of the ACNP. Dr. Lisanby serves on the FDA Neurological Devices Advisory Panel and has held key leadership positions in professional organizations including serving as President of the International Society for ECT and Neurostimulation (ISEN) and Chair of the American Psychiatric Association Task Force to Revise the Practice on Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT). Dr. Lisanby serves on numerous national and international scientific advisory boards including: the Scientific Advisory Board for the Aalto University School of Science, Netherlands; the Scientific Advisory Board of the Coordination and Support Action for BrainHealth (an EU-funded European Partnership); the Scientific Council of the Brain Behavior Research Foundation; the Scientific Advisory Board of the German Center for Brain Stimulation, a research consortium funded by the German Ministry for Education and Research; and the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) Career Awards for Medical Scientists (CAMS). A Board-Certified Psychiatrist and Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association (DLFAPA), Dr. Lisanby received her dual BS in Mathematics and Psychology and her MD at Duke University as an Angier Biddle Duke Scholar. She completed her residency in Psychiatry at Duke, where she served as Executive Chief Resident.

Professor James E. Moore Jr. is an internationally recognized biomedical engineer and medical device innovator whose research bridges engineering, medicine, and entrepreneurship. He serves as the Bagrit & Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Medical Device Design in the Department of Bioengineering at Imperial College London, where he leads research in cardiovascular and lymphatic biomechanics, medical device development, and translational bioengineering. Prior to joining Imperial in 2013, Professor Moore held the Carolyn S. and Tommie E. Lohman Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University and previously served on the faculty at Florida International University. He earned his BS, MS, and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology before completing postdoctoral training at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL). His research focuses on understanding the biomechanics underlying cardiovascular disease, cancer, and lymphatic disorders, translating these discoveries into novel medical technologies. His team is developing innovative devices to prevent and treat secondary lymphedema, a debilitating condition that commonly affects cancer survivors following lymph node removal. Professor Moore is also a leader in medical technology commercialization. He holds 13 patents for medical devices and testing technologies, has co-founded four startup companies, and has helped shape the UK's medical technology innovation ecosystem through research on the economic impact of the MedTech sector. An advocate for engineering entrepreneurship, he founded Imperial College London's MRes in Medical Device Design and Entrepreneurship, a pioneering program that has launched numerous medical technology startups, and also established the undergraduate Biomedical Technology Ventures program to prepare engineers to translate research into clinical impact. Professor Moore is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), reflecting his significant contributions to biomedical engineering, medical device innovation, and translational healthcare research.

George Poste is the Del E. Webb Professor of Health Innovation and Chief Scientist at The Complex Adaptive Systems Initiative at Arizona State University. This program integrates research in genomics, synthetic biology and high performance computing to study the altered regulation of molecular networks in human diseases to develop new diagnostic tests for precision medicine and the remote monitoring of health status using miniaturized body sensors and mobile devices. He assumed this post in 2009. From 2003 to 2009 he directed and built The Biodesign Institute at ASU.

Dr. Celestin Twizere is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Electronics, Electromagnetism and telecommunication at the University of Rwanda, College of science and technology and Director of the East Africa Regional Centre of Excellence in Biomedical Engineering and e-Health (CEBE), hosted by University of Rwanda. He has experience in Higher Education training and leading, conducting and publishing in telecommunications, computer science and mHealth technology for more than 22 years. In the role of CEBE Director, Twizere has gained valuable experience in the management of funding from African Development Bank and other different funding agencies including NIH for over 8 years. One of the highest priorities is to implement telemedicine technologies, Electronic Health Records (EHR), and interoperability of systems to link East African Centers of Excellence and specialized health care facilities across the region. With his telecommunication background (Ground Penetrating Radar, Wireless Communication and Networks, Electromagnetic Radiation and Propagation, and Smart Antenna for Mobile Communication), his spectrum of work is broad as he is collaborating in different projects in digital health as a main leader or co-leader. These include strengthening research capacity and expertise in digital health, digitalizing the hospital patient trajectory and secondary use of EHRs in Rwanda, e-mental healthcare architecture as an innovative solution to conventional treatment in Rwanda.

Dr. Panitch's work focuses on the design of biopolymers that improve tissue healing and regeneration. Her lab focuses on both intracellular and extracellular approaches to direct molecular and cellular processes to limit scar formation, be it vascular intimal hyperplasia, glial scarring, dermal scarring, fibrocartilage, or surgical adhesions, while promoting tissue repair.

Dr. Jagat Narula is a world-renowned cardiologist and academic leader specializing in cardiovascular imaging and atherosclerosis. He has served as Editor-in-Chief of JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging and has held leadership roles including Dean at several medical institutions. He is recognized for his pioneering research in molecular imaging of the heart and plaque vulnerability.

Jeffrey A Hubbell is a pioneer in biomaterials, drug delivery, and immunoengineering, with groundbreaking work in designing materials that interact with the immune system for therapeutic applications, including vaccine development and regenerative medicine.

Dr. Yubin Zhou is a professor and director of the Center for Translational Cancer Research at Texas A&M University's Institute of Biosciences and Technology. His research focuses on developing programmable bioengineering tools to control cell signaling and immune function for immunotherapy. He is an elected Fellow or Member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

Li-Qun Zhang is a Professor in Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science and in Orthopaedics, University of Maryland, Baltimore, and a Professor in Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA. His research interests include conducting diagnosis, passive and active movement training, and outcome evaluations of sensorimotor impairments in stroke survivors and children with cerebral palsy using novel rehabilitation protocols and intelligent rehabilitation devices, investigation of reflex and nonreflex factors contributing to movement impairments and spasticity at the multi-joint, single-joint, and muscle fascicle and tendon levels, investigation of musculoskeletal injury mechanisms and rehabilitation/prevention of injuries, and furthermore translating research from lab to new rehabilitation protocols to improve treatment of injuries/impairments in clinical practice. He has published about 150 peer-reviewed journal articles.

Dr. Michael Daniele is a Professor and University Faculty Scholar in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at NC State University and UNC-Chapel Hill. He is Co-Director of the NSF Center for Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies and the NC State Institute for Connected Sensor-Systems. His research spans bioelectronics, wearable and implantable biosensors, microfluidics, and sensor technologies for biomanufacturing, with applications in personalized health, organ-on-a-chip systems, and gene and cell therapy manufacturing. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award.

Professor Ilesanmi Adesida is the Donald Biggar Willett Professor of Engineering, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research interests include nanofabrication science and technology, high-speed optoelectronic devices and wide-bandgap materials and devices. Ilesanmi Adesida has been a leader on undergraduate education, graduate education, online education, faculty development, diversity, global relationships, strategic advancement and creating partnerships with industry and business leaders. A campus leader, he was a founding Director of the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, Dean of the College of Engineering and then Provost. He also co-founded a technology company and has served on the board of directors of several engineering firms in addition to consulting for and serving on many advisory boards of both private and governmental bodies in and outside of the United States.

Flordeliz Bowles graduated from the prestigious MR program at the UT MD Anderson School of Health Professions in 2011. For over 15 years, she has worked in leading tertiary care hospitals at the Texas Medical Center, gaining extensive experience in both clinical and research settings. She is now the lead MR technologist at the Pettigrew Lab for Advanced Medical Imaging and Data Science at Texas A&M - School of Engineering Medicine, where she collaborates with physicianeers working at the intersection of patient care, technology, and discovery. When she is not in front of the MRI scanner, she is an avid foodie, tinkerer, and entrepreneur, having founded three companies with Steven, her high school sweetheart, and Shelby, her favorite shop dog by her side.

Sameer Sheth, MD, PhD is Professor of Neurosurgery, Cullen Foundation Endowed Chair, McNair Scholar, Vice-Chair of Clinical Research, and Director of Psychiatric Neurosurgery in the Department of Neurosurgery, Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Sheth directs the Gordon and Mary Cain Pediatric Neurology Research Foundation Laboratories at Texas Children’s Hospital. He also holds joint appointments in the Department of Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Baylor and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University. Clinically, Dr. Sheth specializes in stereotactic/functional neurosurgery, including the surgical treatment of movement disorders, epilepsy, and psychiatric disorders. He employs a combination of stereotactic and traditional open surgical techniques, including deep brain stimulation and other neuromodulation approaches, laser ablation, focused ultrasound, radiosurgery, and microsurgery, tailored to patient needs. Dr. Sheth’s research focuses on cognitive neurophysiology, using opportunities derived from his clinical work. He studies higher order human cognitive processes, including decision-making and emotional regulation, using intracranial electrophysiological recordings and non-invasive advanced imaging techniques. His lab also strives to improve neuromodulatory treatments for neurological and psychiatric disorders using surgical and non-invasive techniques. Dr. Sheth is PI or MPI of 4 active NIH research grants and a UE5 resident training grant. He has mentored numerous medical and graduate students, postdocs, residents, and fellows and published more than 250 peer-reviewed research papers.

Carolyn C. Meltzer, MD, is Dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, holder of the May S. and John H. Hooval Dean’s Chair in Medicine, and Professor of Radiology. A physician-scientist with expertise in neuroradiology, nuclear medicine, and PET imaging, her research has focused on brain structure and function in aging, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, neuropsychiatric disorders, and cancer imaging. Before joining USC in 2022, she spent 15 years as Chair of Radiology and Imaging Sciences at Emory University School of Medicine and also held senior faculty leadership roles there. Earlier, she served on the faculty of the University of Pittsburgh, including as Chief of Neuroradiology. Dr. Meltzer earned her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her MD from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her professional honors include election as an AAAS Fellow, the American College of Radiology Gold Medal, and the American Medical Association Distinguished Service Award,

George Q. Daley, MD, PhD is Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Caroline Shields Walker Professor of Medicine, and Professor of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at Harvard Medical School. His research laboratory at Boston Children’s Hospital investigates stem cell and cancer biology, with a focus on hematopoietic development and diseases of the bone marrow, blood and immune system. Daley earned his AB and MD degrees from Harvard and a PhD in biology from MIT. Prior to becoming Dean at HMS, he was an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Director of the Pediatric Stem Cell Transplantation Program of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital. He is an elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine and the American Association of Arts and Sciences. https://hms.harvard.edu/faculty-staff/george-q-daley

Dr. Chandler Benjamin, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering Medicine (EnMed) whose research applies continuum mechanics to understand the mechanical behavior of soft biological tissues and advanced biomaterials. His work focuses on the rheology of complex and polymeric fluids, the biomechanics of cardiovascular tissues, and the development of predictive models for tissue deformation and failure. His laboratory's current research investigates the initiation and propagation of aortic dissection—a life-threatening cardiovascular condition—as well as the viscoelastic and rheological properties of stimuli-responsive hydrogels with potential applications in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and medical devices. Combining experimental mechanics, computational modeling, and biomaterials science, Dr. Benjamin's research aims to advance both fundamental engineering knowledge and translational solutions for improving human health.

Joseph M. DeSimone is the Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Professor of Translational Medicine and Chemical Engineering at Stanford University. He holds appointments in the Departments of Radiology and Chemical Engineering with courtesy appointments in the Department of Chemistry and in Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. The DeSimone laboratory's research efforts are focused on developing innovative, interdisciplinary solutions to complex problems centered around advanced polymer 3D fabrication methods. In Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, the lab is pursuing new capabilities in digital 3D printing, as well as the synthesis of new polymers for use in advanced additive technologies. In Translational Medicine, research is focused on exploiting 3D digital fabrication tools to engineer new vaccine platforms, enhanced drug delivery approaches, and improved medical devices for numerous conditions, with a current major focus in pediatrics. Complementing these research areas, the DeSimone group has a third focus in Entrepreneurship, Digital Transformation, and Manufacturing. Before joining Stanford in 2020, DeSimone was a professor of chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and of chemical engineering at North Carolina State University. He is also Co-founder, Board Chair, and former CEO (2014 - 2019) of the additive manufacturing company, Carbon. DeSimone is responsible for numerous breakthroughs in his career in areas including green chemistry, medical devices, nanomedicine, and 3D printing. He has published over 350 scientific articles and is a named inventor on over 200 issued patents. Additionally, he has mentored 80 students through Ph.D. completion in his career, half of whom are women and members of underrepresented groups in STEM. In 2016 DeSimone was recognized by President Barack Obama with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest U.S. honor for achievement and leadership in advancing technological progress. He has received numerous other major awards in his career, including the U.S. Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award (1997); the American Chemical Society Award for Creative Invention (2005); the Lemelson-MIT Prize (2008); the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award (2009); the AAAS Mentor Award (2010); the Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment (2017); the Wilhelm Exner Medal (2019); the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2019 U.S. Overall National Winner); and the Harvey Prize in Science and Technology (2020). He is one of only 25 individuals elected to all three branches of the U.S. National Academies (Sciences, Medicine, Engineering). DeSimone received his B.S. in Chemistry in 1986 from Ursinus College and his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1990 from Virginia Tech. Education Ph.D., Virginia Tech, Chemistry (1990) B.S., Ursinus College, Chemistry (1986)

Dr. Michael King is a national leader in the field of biomedical engineering and an expert in the following research areas: the adhesion and transport of circulating cells; cellular delivery of anti-cancer therapeutics in the bloodstream; the mechanotransduction of cancer and immune cells in shear flow; and the development of 3D in vitro models of bloodborne metastasis. Dr. King completed a PhD in chemical engineering at the University of Notre Dame and postdoctoral training in bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. He has written textbooks on the subjects of statistical methods and microchannel flows, and has received several awards including the NSF CAREER Award, Outstanding Research Awards from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Society of Clinical Chemistry, and was a James D. Watson Investigator of New York State. King is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE), American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and served as founding Vice President of the International Society of Bionic Engineering. Since 2013 he has been the Editor-in-Chief of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, an official journal of the BMES. He previously served as Chair of the BME Council of Chairs, and most recently as the Chair of the AIMBE College of Fellows. Prior to joining the Rice faculty in 2024, Michael R. King was the J. Lawrence Wilson Professor and Department Chair of Biomedical Engineering at Vanderbilt University. Before that he was the Daljit S. and Elaine Sarkaria Professor at Cornell University, and he started his faculty career at the University of Rochester.

Tsu-Jae Liu is the President of the National Academy of Engineering. A distinguished engineer and academic leader, she earned her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University. In 1996, she joined the faculty of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, where she has served in a range of administrative leadership roles, most recently as Dean of the College of Engineering from July 2018 through June 2025. Liu is renowned for her contributions to microelectronics, including co-developing the FinFET transistor design that is used in all leading-edge computer chips and smartphones today. She has authored more than 550 publications and holds 97 U.S. patents. Her honors and recognitions include DARPA’s Significant Technical Achievement Award, the Global Semiconductor Alliance’s Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award, and the IEEE Electron Devices Society Education Award. Liu is a Fellow of the IEEE and the National Academy of Inventors and was inducted into the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 2017. She has served on the Boards of Directors for Intel Corporation and MaxLinear Inc. and has contributed nationally as an advocate for domestic microelectronics workforce development and as a member of advisory committees for the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Dr. Moreno is the Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering and J. Mike Walker '66 Faculty Fellow at Texas A&M University. Dr. Moreno is active in several professional organizations and currently serves as Chair of the ASME Bioengineering Division Design, Dynamics, and Rehabilitation Committee. Dr. Moreno also serves as Director for the Engineering World Health Summer Institute in Rwanda.

An internationally known pediatrician and a champion of pediatric global health, Dr. Barbara J. Stoll served as the first woman dean of McGovern Medical School from Oct. 1, 2015 to June 30, 2020. During her tenure as dean, Dr. Barbara J. Stoll oversaw extraordinary growth in the Medical School size and research initiatives and the transformation of educational programs. The faculty increased by 13 percent and research expenditures grew by 26 percent from $133M to $168M, which importantly reflected an increase in the number of NIH grants by 83 percent from 145 to 266. The extraordinary expansion and development of new programs was uniquely enabled by the transformational McGovern gift, an enduring and powerful legacy that was initiated during her tenure. As dean at McGovern Medical School, Stoll oversaw the introduction of a newly integrated curriculum for the education of medical students and fostered novel educational and scientific collaborations with Rice University. Stoll played an integral role in the Medical School’s clinical operations, promoting our community efforts in providing safety-net care and expanded our role in addressing the broader issue of social determinants of health. Respectful of all voices, Stoll championed the Women Faculty Forum, the Arts and Resilience Program, the Medical School Advisory Council, and kept in weekly contact with her constituents through an email newsletter, where she routinely tackled tough issues, often those affecting most directly children or other vulnerable populations, such as gun violence, immigration, racism, and gender inequality. Another important additional effort toward ensuring McGovern’s successful future was her recruitment of new chairs in the departments of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Anesthesiology, Pediatrics, and Emergency Medicine. Stoll joined UTHealth from Emory University School of Medicine, where she spent the previous decade as the George W. Brumley, Jr., Professor and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics. She also served as the president and CEO of the Emory-Children’s Center and director of the Pediatric Center of Georgia, a joint venture between Emory and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She has authored more than 290 papers and has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1991. She is the 2016 recipient of the John Howland Award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Pediatric Society. Stoll received her MD degree from Yale Medical School (external link), graduating Cum Laude. Additional training included a pediatric internship and residency at Babies Hospital, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center and a neonatology fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine. She received her AB degree from Barnard College.

Dr. Wang, Bren Professor of Medical Engineering and Electrical Engineering; Andrew and Peggy Cherng Medical Engineering Leadership Chair; Executive Officer for Medical Engineering. Professor Wang's research focuses on biomedical imaging. In particular, his lab has developed photoacoustic imaging that allows peering noninvasively into biological tissues. Compared to conventional optical microscopy, his techniques have increased the penetration by nearly two orders of magnitude, breaking through the optical diffusion limit. The Wang lab has invented or discovered functional photoacoustic tomography, 3D photoacoustic microscopy, optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy, photoacoustic Doppler effect, photoacoustic reporter gene imaging, microwave-induced thermoacoustic tomography, universal photoacoustic reconstruction algorithm, time-reversed ultrasonically encoded optical focusing, and compressed ultrafast photography (world's fastest camera capable of 10 trillion frames per second). Combining rich optical contrast and scalable ultrasonic resolution, photoacoustic imaging is the only modality capable of providing multiscale high-resolution structural, functional, metabolic, and molecular imaging of organelles, cells, tissues, and organs as well as small-animal organisms in vivo. Broad applications include early-cancer detection, surgical guidance, and brain imaging. For example, it can help surgeons effectively remove breast cancer lumps, reducing the need for follow-up surgeries. Professor Wang's Monte Carlo model of photon transport in scattering media is used worldwide as a standard tool.

Balakrishna Haridas is the Deputy Executive Director of the Southwest National Pediatric Device Innovation Consortium (SWPDC) at Texas A&M University. In this role, he supports the development and translation of innovative medical devices designed specifically for pediatric populations — an historically underserved area in medical device development. His work bridges engineering, clinical needs, and regulatory pathways to help bring child-focused medical technologies from concept to commercialization. He has expertise in biomedical engineering, project management, and fostering collaboration between academic researchers, clinicians, and industry partners to address unmet needs in children's healthcare.

Randall Wright is a neurologist affiliated with Houston Methodist, known for his expertise in brain health, cognitive neurology, and preventive neurology. He is a noted communicator and educator in the field of brain wellness and neurological disease prevention.

Shrikanth (Shri) Narayanan is University Professor and Niki & C. L. Max Nikias Chair in Engineering at the University of Southern California (USC), where he is Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Linguistics, Psychology, Music, Neuroscience, Pediatrics, and Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Director of the Ming Hsieh Institute and Research Director of the Information Sciences Institute. Prior to USC, he was with AT&T Bell Labs, Murray Hill and AT&T Research, Florham Park. His interdisciplinary research focuses on human-centered sensing/imaging, signal processing, and machine intelligence centered on human communication, interaction, emotions, and behavior. He is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, Acoustical Society of America, IEEE, ACM, International Speech Communication Association (ISCA), the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Association for Psychological Science, the Association for the Advancement of Affective Computing, and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). He has published widely and his inventions have led to technology commercialization including through startups he co-founded: Synaptic Bloom focused on digital twins for neurodevelopment and aging, Behavioral Signals Technologies focused on AI based conversational assistance and Lyssn focused on mental health care and quality assurance.

Samuel Achilefu is a professor and the inaugural chair of the Biomedical Engineering Department. Renowned for his work in molecular imaging, optical radiology, and cancer diagnostics. He developed cancer-visualizing glasses used in surgery and has been recognized as the first African-born president of the World Molecular Imaging Society. He is a recipient of the St. Louis Award and numerous other honors.

Roger Boodoo, MD, is a physician executive, diagnostic radiologist, clinical informaticist, and combat veteran with expertise spanning military medicine, healthcare transformation, and artificial intelligence. As Chief Medical Officer of HOPPR, he leads clinical strategy for multimodal and generative AI technologies in medical imaging. Dr. Boodoo began his career as a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman and later served as a battalion surgeon with U.S. Marine Corps infantry forces during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Over more than two decades of military service, he held senior leadership roles in radiology, imaging informatics, and innovation, including Chief of Innovation for the Defense Health Agency. Board-certified in Diagnostic Radiology and Clinical Informatics, he remains an actively practicing radiologist focused on advancing technologies that support safer, faster, and better-informed clinical decisions.

Tianbao Yang is a Professor and Stephen Horn '79 Engineering Excellence Chair at CSE department of Texas A&M University, where he directs the lab of Optimization for Machine learning and AI (OptMAI Lab). His research interests center around optimization, machine learning and efficient AI with applications in medicine. Before joining TAMU, he was an assistant professor and then tenured Dean's Excellence associate professor at the Computer Science Department of the University of Iowa from 2014 to 2022. Before that, he worked in Silicon Valley as Machine Learning Researcher for two years at GE Research and NEC Labs. He received the Best Student Paper Award of COLT in 2012, and the NSF Career Award in 2019.

Mary Pat Moyer is a distinguished biomedical scientist, entrepreneur and manager with more than five decades of experience in biomanufacturing clinical and research-use products for regenerative medicine and infectious diseases. At INCELL Corporation, she leads the development of innovative products, focusing on human cells, tissues, cell culture, human cellular and tissue-based products, and FDA-registered facilities. Moyer’s notable accomplishments include leading two INCELL-sponsored Investigational New Drug applications for cell therapies to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, showcasing the first-ever successful treatment that improved disease symptoms. Her expertise spans human cell therapies, infectious diseases, microbiology, virology and cancer disease mechanisms, as well as sponsorship, development, manufacturing, testing, preclinical and clinical studies, and commercialization of new products. She received her Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin. Moyer is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology. Honors include the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, the Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award from the American Association of University Women and the Athena International Award for Women in Leadership. She has authored 15 books or book chapters, more than 220 peer-reviewed articles and 12 Drug and Device Master Files for the Food and Drug Administration, which provide confidential detailed information about the facilities, processes or articles used in the manufacturing of drugs and medical devices; she also holds three patents. Moyer will collaborate with faculty and students in the College of Medicine.

Cynthia Reinhart-King is the John W. Cox Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Bioengineering at Rice University. Before joining Rice, she was a University Distinguished Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Cell and Developmental Biology at Vanderbilt University, where she also served as Senior Associate Dean for Research in the School of Engineering. She obtained undergraduate degrees in Chemical Engineering and Biology at MIT and her PhD at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Bioengineering. Her lab’s research interests are cell and tissue mechanobiology in cancer and atherosclerosis. She was awarded the Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award, the inaugural Mid-Career Award, and the Herb Voigt Service Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society, an NSF CAREER Award, the Sonny Yau ‘72 Excellence in Teaching Award, the Cornell University Cook Award and the Zellman Warhaft Award from the Cornell College of Engineering, the Vanderbilt Chancellor’s Award for Research and the Edward J. White Service Award from the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering. She is a fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering, and she was an inaugural New Voices Fellow of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. She served as a standing member of the NIH CMT study section panel, an elected Board Member of AIMBE, Secretary and Elected Board member of BMES, and Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of AIMBE. She is the Past-President of the Biomedical Engineering Society.

Dr. Sodickson is a physicist in medicine who has devoted his career to developing new ways of seeing. The technologies he has developed, including parallel MRI and more recently AI-driven imaging methods, have been used to guide the care of billions of people around the world. He is a past president and gold medalist of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, a fellow of the U.S. National Academy of Inventors, and a member of the national advisory council for the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. After beginning his career at Harvard and MIT (1996-2006), he served for many years as Vice Chair for Research (2009-2022) then as Chief of Innovation (2022-2025) in the Department of Radiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. In December of 2025, Dr. Sodickson joined the proactive health company Function Health as its Chief Medical Scientist. His book entitled The Future of Seeing, which explores the rich history and surprising future of imaging, appeared in October of 2025.