March 10, 2021
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the election of three UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy faculty members to its elite College of Fellows.
Kristy M. Ainslie, Ph.D., Shawn D. Hingtgen, Ph.D., and Alexander Tropsha, Ph.D., have been elected to the group, which consists of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers in the country, according to the AIMBE. The most accomplished and distinguished engineering and medical school chairs, research directors, professors, innovators, and successful entrepreneurs comprise the AIMBE’s College of Fellows.
Ainslie, professor and Vice Chair of the School’s Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for her contributions to the development of polymeric nano- and micromaterials, including acetalated dextran for vaccines, autoimmune therapies, scaffolds and long-acting system.
“I am honored that all the accomplishments of my current and prior lab members would be recognized by such a prestigious group of noteworthy scientists and engineers. Furthermore, I am proud to stand with so many individuals who strive to better our world through changes in scientific policy and contributions to women and underrepresented minorities in our scientific community,” Ainslie said.
Tropsha, a K.H. Lee distinguished professor and Associate Dean for Data Science at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, was elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for his seminal contributions to computer-aided drug discovery by establishing best practices for model development and validation.
“I am very honored to join the ranks of this important interdisciplinary scientific institute,” Tropsha said. “I am especially pleased that our studies in the theory of computer-aided drug discovery that were considered quite esoteric by the mainstream medicinal chemistry only 30 years ago have found recognition in today’s world of big data and data science.”
Hingtgen, associate professor in the School’s Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, was elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for pioneering work on the application of novel nanomaterial-cell composite therapy for post-surgical brain cancer.
“I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career and with my AIMBE nomination. I’m humbled and honored to be part of this elite group of scientists,” Hingtgen said. “When we first explored the potential of applying engineering composites to cell therapy for brain cancer, we had no idea if this approach would work. But we’ve sought to be bold and innovative in our research. It has been so rewarding to watch the work evolve, lead to better treatments in our early testing, and move toward the clinic where it can truly help patients.”
AIMBE’s mission is to recognize excellence in, and advocate for, the fields of medical and biological engineering in order to advance society. Since 1991, AIMBE’s College of Fellows has led the way for technological growth and advancement in the fields of medical and biological engineering, according to the organization. The group is currently comprised of more than 2,000 individuals who have made significant contributions to the medical and biological engineering community in academia, industry, government, and education that have transformed the world.
Nominations of Ainslie, Hingtgen and Tropsha to the organization were made by UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy’s Alexander “Sasha” Kabanov, Ph.D., Dr.Sci., director of the Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery and co-director of the Carolina Institute for Nanomedicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kabanov is also a member of the distinguished College of Fellows and was elected in 2015 for his works on polymeric nanosystems for drug delivery that have considerably influenced current ideas and approaches in nanomedicine.
“I nominated the best academics who in my view are not only worthy of this notable recognition but who will greatly contribute to the AIMBE through their scientific accomplishments, professional standing and public service. I am delighted that the colleagues at AIMBE have supported these individuals by selecting them to the College of Fellows,” Kabanov said.
A formal induction ceremony will be held during AIMBE’s 2021 Annual Event on March 26. Ainslie, Hingtgen and Tropsha will join 171 others to make up the AIMBE Fellow Class of 2021.
For more information about the AIMBE Annual Event, please visit www.aimbe.org.
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