The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the induction of Dr. Tanmay Lele and Dr. Taylor Ware, faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University, to its College of Fellows.
The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of engineers in the medical and biological engineering fields. Membership honors major contributions to research, practice or education and those who pioneer significant advancements in their areas of research.
Lele, Unocal Professor in the biomedical engineering and chemical engineering departments, was selected for his fundamental contributions to cell and nuclear mechanobiology.
“I am thankful for this recognition from members of the profession for our work, which would not have been possible without the dedication and collaboration of my students and colleagues,” Lele said.
I am thankful for this recognition from members of the profession for our work, which would not have been possible without the dedication and collaboration of my students and colleagues.
The Lele Lab focuses on understanding how cell and tissue structure become altered in cancer and applying this understanding for early detection and intervention. A recent finding from the Lele Lab is that cancer cell nuclei deform similar to liquid droplets. The methods developed by his group to quantitatively measure abnormal morphologies of cell nuclei have led to the identification of the mechanisms that contribute to these deformations.
Dr. Lele’s work has provided insight into the understanding of nuclear shaping in both normal and cancerous cells, and has made some of the first inroads in targeting shape abnormalities in cancer as treatment.
Ware, associate professor in the biomedical engineering and materials science and engineering departments, was selected for his creation of responsive biomaterials, including artificial muscles to restore tissue functionality and engineered living materials with the ability to grow.
“I am honored to be included in this group of distinguished engineers,” Ware said. “This recognition also reminds me of the significant impacts on my career made by my mentors and by the students and postdocs who have chosen to work with me.”
This recognition also reminds me of the significant impacts on my career made by my mentors and by the students and postdocs who have chosen to work with me.
Ware has made discoveries in responsive polymers and engineered living materials that enable a single material to replace or improve functions of biological systems. For example, the Responsive Biomaterials Lab 3D prints liquid crystal elastomers (LCEs), materials promising for creating soft machines. Devices made from 3D-printed LCEs are currently being evaluated as a treatment for stress urinary incontinence, a condition that affects nearly 50% of women in their lifetime.
His lab has also discovered a method that allows shape-changing polymer ribbons to self-assemble, change their volume, and dissemble as needed using responsive materials that can bend or twist. The method opens the door for non-invasive assembly and disassembly of structures via injection into hard-to-reach places, like inside the human body.
While most AIMBE fellows hail from the United States, the College of Fellows has inducted members representing more than 30 countries employed in academia, industry, clinical practice and government.
A formal induction ceremony was held during the AIMBE Annual Event at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, on March 25, 2024.