Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) researcher George Pins has been elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows for his contributions to tissue engineering research and the fabrication of novel scaffolds to improve tissue regeneration.
Pins, a professor and associate head in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, is among 153 medical and biological engineers who were nominated, reviewed, and elected by their peers to the AIMBE College of Fellows this year.
“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by my colleagues in the medical and biological engineering community,” Pins said. “This honor also recognizes the great work of so many students, as well as the support of numerous colleagues, collaborators, and mentors that I continue to have the privilege of working with.”
Pins joined the WPI faculty in 2000 and focuses his research on the development of biomimetic scaffolds and 3D model systems to enhance tissue regeneration. His lab uses design strategies and fabrication processes based on tissue development and wound-healing mechanisms to develop 3D scaffolds that mimic native tissue architecture and cellular microenvironments. Pins’ team uses this strategy to create biopolymer microthreads that deliver stem cells to the heart or to enhance skeletal muscle regeneration. His research has included a project to create a patch to help cardiac muscle beat more strongly and efficiently after a heart attack.
Pins regularly serves on advisory boards, conference planning committees, and grant review panels for the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the National Academies/National Research Council. He was a member of the leadership advisory council for the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, a nonprofit organization. At WPI, Pins has mentored students from underrepresented groups who are interested in academic careers, and he worked with students to establish a chapter of Alpha Eta Mu Beta, the international biomedical engineering honor society.
The AIMBE College of Fellows is made up of the top medical and biological engineers in the country. They are accomplished and distinguished engineering and medical school chairs, research directors, professors, innovators, and successful entrepreneurs who have been elected for their contributions to engineering and medicine research, practice, or education.
AIMBE Fellows have been awarded the Nobel Prize, the Presidential Medal of Science, and the Presidential Medal of Technology and Innovation, and many are members of the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Sciences.
AIMBE will induct new fellows at a March 25 virtual event.
