Black and Xu named AIMBE Fellows

Associate Professors Lauren Black and Qiaobing Xu of the Department of Biomedical Engineering have been elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows. As Fellows of AIMBE, Black and Xu are formally recognized for their outstanding contributions to engineering and medicine research, practice, and education.

Black was elected for outstanding contributions to understanding extracellular matrix signaling in developing and diseased hearts to guide biomaterials and tissue engineering therapies. Black’s research at Tufts seeks to understand the biophysical signaling mechanisms responsible for the development of healthy and diseased myocardium inclusive of mechanical stress/strain, electrical stimulation, and cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions. The goal of his work is to design and develop new methods for repairing diseased or damaged myocardium.

Xu was elected for outstanding contributions to develop synthetic lipid nanoparticles for intracellular protein delivery for therapeutics including cancer therapy and gene editing. His research at Tufts investigates the intersection of material science engineering (specifically nanoscience) and biomedical applications. His work develops new synthetic materials for the delivery of therapeutic biomacromolecules. He is currently investigating the use of drug delivery as a tool to stimulate host immune systems for cancer vaccine applications, and exploring micro/nanofabrication as tools for tissue engineering applications.

Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to medical and biological engineers. Fellows of AIMBE are celebrated for making major advancements in new and traditional fields, and for developing innovative approaches to bioengineering education.

Learn more about the 2020 Members of the AIMBE College of Fellows at https://aimbe.org/2020-fellows/