Congratulations to Professor Bruce Wheeler on his election as a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)! BMES Fellow is a distinction reserved for only a few select BMES members who demonstrate exceptional achievements and experience in the field of biomedical engineering, and a record of membership and participation in the Society. Only seven Fellows were selected this year!
Dr. Wheeler was elected Fellow for his contributions to research in neural engineering, to the development of biomedical engineering programs, to engineering education, and to service at the university, national and international levels. In research he pioneered what is nicknamed “brain on chip”, with fundamental technology developments in the recording of activity from brain slices on surface multi-element electrode arrays (MEAs), which has led to world wide use of this research technique. He developed several techniques for controlling the in vitro (cell culture) geometric growth of neurons in particular and cells in general, has shown effects of form on neuronal function, and is developing technology for constructing on chip mimics of known anatomical circuits. This is a combined effort of microfabrication, signal processing/pattern recognition, and collaborative neuroscience.
His research contributions are matched by his record of 20 years of administrative service, most notably including the creation of the Bioengineering Department (and BS, MS and PhD programs) at the University of Illinois, but also for overseeing the creation of the undergraduate program at Florida and substantially impacting undergraduate education in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Illinois. He has been Acting BioE/BME Department Head/Chair at Illinois and Florida, ECE Associate Head at Illinois, and Chair of Neuroscience at Illinois.
Finally, he has provided major international service through six years as Editor in Chief of the IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, the largest and most cited general purpose biomedical engineering journal, and currently serves as President of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.
There will be a public recognition of the Class of 2013 Fellows during the BMES Annual Meeting, at which time Dr. Wheeler will receive a plaque and Fellows pin. This ceremony will take place on Thursday Sept. 26, 5:45 pm during the BMES Town Hall and Awards Ceremony in the WSCC (Conference Center), Room 6E. We encourage all of our UF faculty and students to attend this event to help recognize and celebrate Dr. Wheeler’s accomplishments. We are also hosting a UF reception at BMES that same evening (Thursday Sept. 26, 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm, Sheraton, Room: Issaquah), at which time we will acknowledge and celebrate this achievement.
This is truly an honor! Congratulations, Dr. Wheeler!