The J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering is pleased to announce that Dr. Christine Schmidt has been appointed to the National Advisory Council for the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The National Advisory Council for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NACBIB) advises the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Assistant Secretary for Health at DHHS, the Director of the NIH, and the Director of NIBIB on matters related to research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs focused on biomedical imaging, biomedical engineering, and associated technologies with biomedical applications.
As a distinguished professor in the department, Dr. Schmidt leads research that focuses on engineering natural-based biomaterials materials and therapeutic systems that can interface with neurons and specifically stimulate and guide nerves to regenerate. These biomaterials can ultimately be used for facial and hand reconstruction or in trauma cases, and potentially could be used to aid the regeneration of damaged spinal cord as well. One of her lab’s key success is the foundation for the Avance Nerve Graft from Axogen (Alachua, FL). In addition, along the way to uncovering strategies for nerve regeneration, Dr. Schmidt and her team also discovered a biomaterial processing approach that led to a separate application of protecting tissues after surgery, resulting in VersaWrap from Alafair Biosciences, a start-up company in Austin, Texas. Her more recent research has focused predominantly on spinal cord injury (SCI) applications. She and her team are engineering injectable biomaterials for less invasive applications in crush injuries, which are the most prominent form of SCI.
The NIBIB provides second-level reviews of grant applications and offers strategic input on potential new initiatives, policy considerations, and directions for the NIBIB. Appointments to the council are made by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, with members serving a four-year term. The council meets three times a year in September, January, and May, with remote videoconference meetings planned for September and January, and an in-person meeting scheduled for May in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Schmidt expressed her gratitude for the appointment, stating, “I am honored to serve on the National Advisory Council for NIBIB and contribute to advancing biomedical engineering and imaging. It’s an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of biomedical research and technology, and I look forward to collaborating with esteemed colleagues in the field.”
This prestigious appointment highlights Dr. Schmidt’s significant contributions to the fields of biomedical imaging and bioengineering, and we are proud to celebrate her achievement.