Cockrell School of Engineering professor and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering Shelly Sakiyama-Elbert was elected president of the Society for Biomaterials for the 2020-2021 term.
The Society for Biomaterials is a multidisciplinary organization comprised of academic, health care, governmental and business professionals dedicated to promoting advancements in all aspects of biomaterial science, education and professional standards to enhance human health and quality of life. Established in 1974, it is the oldest scientific organization in the field of biomaterials.
Sakiyama-Elbert joined UT Austin in 2016 as biomedical engineering department chair. Previously, she served as vice dean for research at the Washington University in St. Louis’ School of Engineering and Applied Science, where she was also a professor of biomedical engineering. Her research interests include biomaterials, drug delivery, tissue engineering, nerve regeneration and stem cell biology for applications for therapies for spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury. She holds 10 patents and is a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, Biomaterials Science & Engineering (ICF-BSE) and the Biomedical Engineering Society.
Sakiyama-Elbert just completed a two-year term as secretary/treasurer of the Society for Biomaterials, a position that will be filled by UT professor Elizabeth Cosgriff-Hernandez, who was elected for the 2019-2021 term. Nicholas Peppas, professor and previous chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, served as the Society’s president in 2003-2004.
