Category: News

New professorship will recognize faculty excellence in research, education and service Jerry Chang and his business partners, David and Virginia “Ginny” Szalay, co-founders of Samaritan Biologics, have established the Chang & Szalay Samaritan Biologics Endowed Professorship in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida. The endowed professorship will support a faculty member in the J. […]

Christine Schmidt, Ph.D., distinguished professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, will become president of the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida (ASEMFL) at the organization’s 2026 Annual Meeting in November. Schmidt, who currently serves as ASEMFL president-elect, will assume the leadership role at the academy’s annual meeting Nov. […]

The University of Florida’s AI-Powered Athletics team, which includes Jennifer Nichols, Ph.D., an associate professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, has received the 2026 HiPerGator Pioneering Team Award. Established in 2024, the collaboration between the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and the University Athletic Association uses artificial intelligence to advance […]

His research focuses on engineering the physicochemical properties of biomaterials to induce targeted biological outcomes. Current applications include promoting vascularization and innervation during complex tissue regeneration, leveraging immune responses to enhance regenerative engineering, and developing targeted peptide delivery systems that stimulate specific immunological responses. Bret Ulery, Ph.D., will join the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department […]

Ana Maria Porras, Ph.D., assistant professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been named one of Latino Leaders Magazine’s 101 Most Influential Latinos of 2026. The annual list recognizes Latino leaders, innovators and changemakers making an impact across a wide range of fields. Porras was recognized for her contributions to […]

Thanks to a $1 million gift from Samaritan Biologics and its co-founders, Distinguished Professor Wesley E. Bolch, Ph.D., has been named the inaugural Chang & Szalay Samaritan Biologics Endowed Professor in Biomedical Engineering.

Daniel Ferris, Ph.D., Robert W. Adenbaum Professor in Engineering Innovation and director of the Center for Engineering Human Performance and Wellness in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, has received the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Landis Award for Outstanding Mentorship, recognizing his commitment to mentoring and developing the […]

Brittany Taylor, Ph.D., assistant professor and J. Crayton Pruitt Family Term Fellow in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, has received a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award. The award will support Taylor’s research into the cellular mechanisms that drive fibrotic tendon healing, with the goal of improving […]

Parisa Rashidi, Ph.D., professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Catherine Price, Ph.D., ABPP/CN professor in the Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, have received a five-year, $3.7 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) renewal award to improve the detection of cognitive impairment in older adults preparing for surgery. The project, […]

Wesley Bolch, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering and collaborators at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have received a five-year National Cancer Institute R01 award to further develop MIRDsoft, an open-source software platform used worldwide for radiation dosimetry. The project will expand MIRDsoft’s capabilities to support more personalized […]