March 25, 2024

Nanshu Lu is one of two Texas Engineering faculty members who have been inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s (AIMBE) College of Fellows.

Nanshu Lu and Donglei “Emma” Fan are part of the 2024 class of AIMBE inductees. The organization honors those who have made outstanding contributions to engineering and medicine research, practice, or education and to the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering or developing/implementing innovative approaches to bioengineering education.

“Nanshu and Emma will be great additions to AIMBE’s College of Fellows,” said Fernanda Leite, associate dean for research at the Cockrell School of Engineering. “These two women have made many important contributions to biomedical engineering, creating solutions that both advance science and help people, and we’re excited to see their innovation recognized.”

Lu is a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics who is also affiliated with the Department of Biomedical Engineering. She was chosen “for pioneering contributions in soft bio-integrated electronics including epidermal electronics or e-tattoos, and for international leadership in translational research.” Lu and her collaborators have produced several monitoring innovations recently, including a device that attaches to a user’s palm and measures stress and a virtual reality headset that can track brain activity.

Fan, a professor in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering who is also affiliated with the Chandra Family Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering was recognized “for her original contributions to the development of micro/nanomachines, tools, and robots for a broad range of biomedical applications.” In recent years, Fan has made major strides in the area of robotic materials and tools for biomedicine and tackled the challenge of drinking water accessibility. Fan received two awards from the National Science Foundation, the NSF Mid-Career Advancement Award and the NSF CAREER Award and has been a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry since 2021.

Fan and Lu joined 161 colleagues from the fields of engineering and medicine for an induction ceremony on March 25. AIMBE Fellows are among the most distinguished medical and biological engineers, including three Nobel Prize laureates and 22 Presidential Medal of Science and/or Technology and Innovation awardees.