Chair's message
Dear BME Alumni, Colleagues, and Friends,
As I complete my second year as Chair of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts, I am continually impressed by the resilience, creativity, and excellence of our BME community. The past year has brought remarkable growth and exciting new collaborations, and I am proud to share some highlights with you.
We are thrilled to welcome three outstanding faculty members and one new staff member who joined us this past year. Kyle Quinn is a full professor we recruited from the University of Arkansas in August of 2025 to run the Tufts Advanced Microscopic Imaging Center and continue his world-class research program in biomedical optics and metabolic imaging, where he uses label-free imaging techniques to characterize disease progression and tissue repair. Andrew Stout is a new assistant professor (and Ph.D. alum of Tufts BME!) whom we recruited from industry in September of 2025. His lab will use cellular agriculture to develop cultivated meat, advancing cell line development and cell growth environments to make sustainable food production more scalable and accessible. Karen Martin is an assistant professor who joined us in January of 2026 after post-doctoral work in Norway. Her lab will combine immunoengineering and genetic engineering to develop natural killer cell therapies to eradicate cancer. These exceptional researchers strengthen our already world-class faculty and expand the breadth of our research portfolio. We also welcomed Cameron Neale as a full-time staff member in the BME main office who is enhancing our ability to support the growing needs of our faculty, students, and research programs.
I would be remiss not to acknowledge the current climate of federal uncertainty that affects research universities nationwide. Despite these challenges, Tufts BME remains steadfastly focused on our core mission: educating the best and brightest students in biomedical engineering, ensuring research experiences for all who want them, and conducting research at the frontiers of our fields. Our commitment to excellence is evident in several new initiatives: Tiampo Family Assistant Professor Nisha Iyer hosted our inaugural Neuroengineering Symposium in November 2025, we launched the first-ever Tufts BME Industry Showcase in February 2026, and Assistant Professor Juan Gnecco hosted the Engineering for Women’s Health Symposium on our campus in March 2026. These events showcase our growing impact and demonstrate that our research programs remain robust, innovative, and forward-looking.
As I look ahead, I am energized by the Tufts BME community, who continues to embody excellence in education and research. I encourage our alumni to stay connected, as your experiences and insights are invaluable to our current students and to the continued evolution of our programs.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Tufts Biomedical Engineering.
Shelly Peyton
Professor and Department Chair
Biomedical Engineering