Ana Maria Porras, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida, has been named a 2026 Emerging Leader by the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).
Porras is one of nine researchers nationwide selected for the program, which recognizes outstanding early-career professionals who are advancing the fields of medical and biological engineering. Honorees will be formally recognized during AIMBE’s Annual Event on April 11–13, 2026.
Porras leads the Tissue–Microbe Interactions Lab at UF, where her team develops engineered tissue models to study how microbes influence human health. Her research focuses on how microorganisms interact with the extracellular matrix, the structural framework of tissues, and how those interactions contribute to conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, parasitic infections and other disorders involving tissue remodeling. Her work aims to improve understanding of disease mechanisms and inform new strategies for diagnosis and treatment.
The AIMBE Emerging Leaders Program is designed to recognize rising leaders in medical and biological engineering and expand engagement with early-career professionals across the field. The program also serves as a pathway to AIMBE’s College of Fellows. Emerging Leaders have opportunities to network with and receive mentorship from AIMBE Fellows, supporting their professional growth and long-term leadership development.
“This recognition highlights both Dr. Porras’s scientific impact and her leadership in expanding access and representation in our field,” said Cherie Stabler, Ph.D., chair of the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering. “Her research advances our understanding of how engineered tissues can be used to study human health and disease. We are grateful for her contributions to our department and to the broader biomedical engineering community.”
Porras’s selection highlights the University of Florida’s continued contributions to biomedical engineering research and leadership at the national level.