Spring 2026 Message From the Chair
Dear Pitt Bioengineering Community,
Welcome to the 2026 Spring edition of the Pitt BioE newsletter, a season filled with remarkable achievements across research, recognition, and community.
The lead article in this issue highlights the power of imaging across biological scales, from single cells to whole organ systems, as our faculty pursue questions that matter at every level.
The stories below also showcase just a few of our research efforts. This spring, Tamer Ibrahim’s powerful 7T MRI system was found to achieve the statistical power of a 350-person study with just 100 participants. In addition, Bistra Iordanova is building multiscale models of how brain metabolism can change the risk for dementia, Daniel Shiwarski developed an open-source tool that cuts pressure myography costs from $40,000 to $750, and Tracy Cui published a laser-based breakthrough advancing low-cost biosensors for neurotransmitter detection.
Our faculty, students, and alumni also have much to celebrate this spring, starting with a landmark recognition for our department: William Wagner has been named the recipient of the BMES Robert A. Pritzker Distinguished Lectureship Award, one of the most prestigious honors in biomedical engineering. He will deliver the plenary lecture on October 22, 2026, at the BMES 2026 Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, and we hope to see you there.
In addition, Steven Abramowich, Aaron Batista, and Julie Phillippi were elected as 2026 AIMBE fellows, and several others including Richard Debski, Kurt Beschorner, Kang Kim, Robert Kormos, and more received recognition spanning editorial leadership, society fellowships, and international contributions to mechanical circulatory support.
On the student side, three of our graduate students were awarded the prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, a student team brought an innovative fertility device to the ACC InVenture Prize competition, and Satyaj Bhargava won the 2026 Emma W. Locke Award — Pitt’s highest honor for a graduating undergraduate, recognizing high scholarship, character, leadership, and devotion to the University’s ideals. And, at this year’s Distinguished Alumni Banquet, Gregory J. Carlin, was recognized as the 2026 Distinguished Alumnus in Bioengineering.
Congratulations to the Class of 2026. You began your educational journey with a spark of curiosity; today, you depart as the engineers, scientists, and visionaries prepared to redefine the frontiers of biomedical engineering. From our undergraduates finding their footing to our graduate researchers solving complex problems, your growth has been remarkable. We are immensely proud of your achievements and look forward to the breakthroughs you will lead in the years to come.
Lastly, to our students, alumni, faculty, postdocs, and staff, we wish you a restful and productive summer ahead. As always, I encourage you to join our Bioengineering online yearbook, follow our social media channels, and stay connected with the department. Your perspectives and experiences are invaluable to our mission, and I remain inspired by this community every day.
Sincerely,
Sanjeev Shroff, PhD
Chair, Department of Bioengineering
Distinguished Professor of and McGinnis Chair in Bioengineering
Professor of Medicine