Bioengineering 2026 Newsletter

Dear Pitt Bioengineering Community,

Welcome to the Spring 2026 Pitt BioE Newsletter, featuring remarkable achievements across research, recognition, and community.

This issue’s lead article highlights the power of imaging across biological scales, from single cells to whole organ systems. Our research spotlight also features Tamer Ibrahim’s powerful 7T MRI system achieving the statistical power of a 350-person study with just 100 participants, Bistra Iordanova’s multiscale models linking brain metabolism to dementia risk, Daniel Shiwarski’s open-source tool slashing pressure myography costs from $40,000 to $750, and Tracy Cui’s laser-based biosensor breakthrough for neurotransmitter detection.

This spring also brought landmark recognition for our community. William Wagner was named recipient of the BMES Robert A. Pritzker Distinguished Lectureship Award; Steven Abramowich, Aaron Batista, and Julie Phillippi were elected as 2026 AIMBE Fellows; and several others received recognition spanning editorial leadership and international contributions to mechanical circulatory support. On the student side, three graduate students earned NSF Graduate Research Fellowships; a student team took an innovative fertility device to the ACC InVenture Prize; Satyaj Bhargava won the 2026 Emma W. Locke Award; and Gregory J. Carlin was recognized as the 2026 Distinguished Alumnus in Bioengineering.

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.

Read the full message from the chair on our website.

Sincerely,

Sanjeev G. Shroff, PhD
Chair, Department of Bioengineering
Distinguished Professor of and Gerald McGinnis Chair in Bioengineering
Professor of Medicine

Picture Perfect

Pitt Bioengineering researchers are using advanced imaging technologies to study biology at every scale, from individual cells to the entire human brain. Their work spans applications including brain implants, soft tissue mechanics, and dementia research, with a shared goal of translating cutting-edge imaging into real clinical impact.

High Field Imaging with an Ultra-High Impact

Tamer Ibrahim has developed a 7T MRI system capable of achieving the same statistical power as a 350-person study with just 100 participants, dramatically cutting research costs and timelines.

The Brain’s Power Could also Help Predict Its Decline

Bistra Iordanova's interdisciplinary $3.3 million NIH award will help design multiscale models of how the brain’s metabolism can change the risk for dementia.

An Open Source Breakthrough in Hemodynamics

Daniel Shiwarski’s HemoLens introduces low-cost, open source pressure myography tool for researchers.

Stitching Precise Patterns - with Lasers

Tracy Cui and Mostafa Bedewy have developed a new way to precisely control graphene formation on flexible polymers, advancing the path toward low-cost biosensors capable of detecting neurotransmitters.

William R. Wagner receives Robert A. Pritzker Distinguished Lectureship Award

BMES bestows this prestigious award on an individual who has demonstrated impactful leadership and accomplishments in biomedical engineering science and practice.

Save the date for his plenary lecture on Thursday, October 22, at the BMES Annual Meeting!

Three Bioengineering Professors inducted into AIMBE College of Fellows

Election to the College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to medical and biological engineers, comprised of the top two percent of engineers in these fields.

Richard Debski Named Co-Editor-in-Chief of ASME Journal

The Journal of Biomechanical Engineering reports research results involving the application of mechanical engineering principles to the improvement of human health.

Kurt Beschorner Named American Society of Biomechanics (ASB) Fellow

Consistently involved with ASB since 2005, Beschorner’s research has helped develop tools used in the food service industry for footwear inspection and methods used by footwear companies to design safer outsoles.

Kang Kim Named Acoustical Society of America Fellow

Fellowship in the ASA recognizes members who have made significant contributions to the science and applications of acoustics, and the honor reflects both scientific achievement and meaningful service to the acoustics community.

Bioengineering Team Wins ASME Grood Interdisciplinary Team Science Medal

Moalli and Abramowitch are working to generate insights into the causes, diagnosis and treatment of two common pelvic floor conditions, pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence.

Banihashemi receives Paul D. MacLean Award for Outstanding Neuroscience Research in Psychosomatic Medicine

This honor recognizes outstanding neuroscience research in psychosomatic medicine, particularly work that advances understanding of how emotion, brain function, and physical health are interconnected.

Kormos Receives ISHLT Amanda W. Rowe Distinguished Service Award

Robert Kormos is a global leader in mechanical circulatory support (MCS) and cardiothoracic transplantation, and h is work has pioneered durable ventricular assist device (VAD) therapies and advanced both surgical techniques and patient outcomes.

Harvey Borovetz: An ‘Odyssey’ in Bioengineering

Borovetz's groundbreaking career was recently featured in the 2026 edition of The Pitt News Silhouettes, which highlights notable members of the Pitt community.

Three BioE Students Named NSF Graduate Research Fellows

Vanshika Singh, Ritesh Shrivastav, and Casey Cargill will use this prestigious fellowship to advance their neural engineering and tissue engineering research.

Satyaj Bhargava Wins Emma W. Locke Memorial Award

The award is Pitt’s highest undergraduate honor, recognizing one senior each year for exceptional scholarship, character and leadership.

Shannon Lamb Receives GPSG Leadership and Service Award

The award r ecognizes outstanding contributions to leadership and service across the University of Pittsburgh and the broader Pittsburgh community.

Bioengineering Students Took an Innovative Device to the ACC InVenture Prize Competition

An entrepreneurial student team showcased abdOguide , a first-of-its-kind device designed to improve IVF egg retrieval for patients whose ovaries cannot be accessed through the standard transvaginal approach.

Alireza Mohammadzadeh Named Runner-Up at Pitt 3MT Competition

The bioengineering PhD candidate presented his research on sustainable fertilizer delivery systems in just three minutes.

Bioengineering Seniors Take Top Honor at Design Expo

A BioE undergraduate team took home Best Overall Project at the Design Expo for E-Z CVC, a device aimed at improving ultrasound-guided central line placement.

Gregory J. Carlin Named 2026 Distinguished Alumnus in Bioengineering

Carlin credits his Pitt engineering education and mentors—including Savio Woo and the late Freddie Fu—with transforming him from a first generation student into a leader in the global innovation community.

Two Swanson School Alumni Named Pittsburgh 30 Under 30

Benjamin Leslie (BS BioE '24) is making a big difference in the city of Pittsburgh while not even thirty years old.

Bioengineering.org I Brain power may hold the key to predicting cognitive decline (B. Iordanova and L. Zhan)

Groundbreaking Open Source Advances in Hemodynamics (D. Shiwarski)

City of Pittsburgh I Historic Troy Hill Fire House redeveloped through public‑private partnership

Health Day I Lithium might slow brain decline among seniors, pilot study shows (T. Ibrahim)

Medical Xpress I Open-source HemoLens cuts pressure myography costs from $40,000 to $750 (D. Shiwarski)

Neuroscience News.com I Neurons lose their “adaptability” in old age (B. Iordanova, L. Zhan)

New York Post I The secret that explains the Quad God’s Olympic choke (A. Batista)

Pitt Health Sciences I Pink and Powerful: A Hydrogel That Heals and Protects (J. Taboas)

The Pitt News I Harvey Borovetz: An ‘odyssey’ in bioengineering (H. Borovetz)

Pittsburgh Business Times I 30 Under 30: Get to know 2026 honoree Benjamin Leslie (subscription required)

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette I How an old Troy Hill firehouse’s rebirth could be a model for the city (subscription required)

Troy Hill’s historic firehouse sat empty for years. A bioengineering company — and silkworms — live there now. (N. Snyder BioE PhD ’15)

‘A hidden treasure’: Pitt engineering lab, baseball team partner to reduce pitcher injuries (A. Chambers)

Trib Live I Artificial heart kept Collier man alive until he could get a transplant (H. Borovetz)

Cutting-edge BioInterphase moves into Troy Hill’s historic firehouse

Pitt medical researchers get a ‘signing day’ to recognize their work in the marketplace

WPXI I Our Region’s Business - Aneurisk, Inc. (D. Vorp)

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