Lehigh University bioengineering researcher Anand Ramamurthi has been inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows in the Class of 2026.
Ramamurthi, the Peter C. Rossin Professor of Bioengineering and chair of the Department of Bioengineering at Lehigh, conducts discipline-crossing research in nanomedicine and regenerative technologies aimed at non-invasive tissue repair.
The honor—which is among the highest professional distinctions given to medical and biological engineers—recognizes Ramamurthi for "pioneering regenerative technologies for non-invasive tissue repair, transforming bioengineering education through innovation, and leadership in advancing global bioengineering partnerships."
"I am deeply honored to join such a distinguished group of colleagues in the AIMBE College of Fellows," says Ramamurthi, who came to the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science in 2020. "This recognition reflects our commitment to developing high-level innovations—specifically nonsurgical nanomedicines—that can actually reverse the pathophysiology of disease. Our goal has always been to move beyond treating symptoms toward coaxing the body to repair its own complex tissues, and this distinction underscores the translational impact of that mission."
He leads the Ramamurthi Lab for Matrix Engineering, which focuses on the repair of the extracellular matrix (ECM), specifically targeting elastic fibers. These fibers act as "biological rubber bands" that allow tissues like blood vessels and pelvic organs to stretch and recoil. However, they do not naturally regenerate in adults once they are damaged by disease or injury.
His work at Lehigh includes leading a $3.2 million NIH-funded collaboration to develop drug-delivering nanoparticles as a nonsurgical treatment for pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Additionally, his team is developing active-targeting nanomedicines designed to stick specifically to diseased tissue to slow or reverse the growth of aortic aneurysms.
According to the AIMBE, the College of Fellows comprises the top two percent of medical and biological engineers. Membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to research, practice, or education, and to the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology.
Ramamurthi was formally inducted along with 175 colleagues who make up the AIMBE College of Fellows Class of 2026 during a ceremony held April 13 in Arlington, Virginia.
Prior to joining the Lehigh faculty, Ramamurthi served as a professor of biomedical engineering at the Cleveland Clinic's Lerner Research Institute and a professor of molecular medicine at Case Western Reserve University. He is a Fellow of the American Heart Association (AHA) and serves as the chair of the AHA Cardiac Basic Sciences Innovative Research Grant Study Section.
AIMBE Fellows represent more than 35 countries and hold positions throughout academia, industry, clinical practice, and government. Among their ranks are four Nobel Prize laureates and hundreds of members of the National Academies of Engineering, Medicine, and Science.
Related Links: