Biomedical Imaging Expert Ge Wang Joins Rensselaer as Clark and Crossan Professor

Biomedical imaging expert Ge Wang recently joined Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as the John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Professor of Engineering, and a faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

“Dr. Wang is an innovating pioneer and international thought leader in the areas of X-ray computed tomography, bioluminescence tomography, and other imaging technologies. We are very pleased to welcome him to Rensselaer as the John A. Clark and Edward T. Crossan Professor of Engineering. Dr. Wang’s unique perspective, impactful research, and long history of success will help sharpen the upward trajectory of our growing Department of Biomedical Engineering,” said David Rosowsky, dean of the School of Engineering at Rensselaer.

Wang’s innovations over the past 25 years have helped advance the field of medical imaging. In 1991, he coauthored the first paper on helical multi-slice/cone-bean X-ray computed tomography (CT), which has since become one of the key enabling technologies behind medical CT scans. More than 100 million CT scans are performed around the world every year. In 2004, Wang published a breakthrough paper and holds a key patent on bioluminescence tomography.

Since 2007, Wang and his collaborators have been developing a novel theory known as interior tomography, which led to the new concept of “omni-tomography” and has revealed the possibility of performing CT and MRI scans simultaneously

“Professor Wang’s research in hybrid imaging, such as the integration of CT and MRI technologies, will provide an unprecedented access to anatomical, functional, cellular, and molecular data in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, which is an emerging strength of Rensselaer,” said Deepak Vashishth, director of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Research at Rensselaer and head of the university’s Department of Biomedical Engineering.

A prolific researcher, Wang has authored or co-authored 335 refereed journal papers. His papers have been cited more than 8,000 times. He has edited three books, written several book chapters, and holds numerous patents related to his imaging work.

Over his career, Wang has secured $16 million in federal, industrial, and foundation research funding as the principal investigator, and $27 million as co-principal investigator, co-investigator, or mentor. A majority of this funding was granted by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Prior to joining Rensselaer, Wang served since 2006 as the Pritchard Professor at the Virginia Tech—Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Science, where he was also director of the Biomedical Imaging Division. He served from 1997 to 2006 as a faculty member at the University of Iowa, and from 1994 to 1996 as a faculty member at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at Washington University in St. Louis.

Wang was the founding editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Biomedical Imaging. He currently serves as academic editor for PLoS One, associate editor for IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, and associate editor for IEEE Access, among others. He also has served as chair, co-chair, session chair, and member of numerous conference committees and review panels. Next year, he will serve as chair of International Symposium of Biomedical Imaging (ISBI), a leading conference in the biomedical imaging field.

Widely recognized by peers, Wang is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, the International Society for Optical Engineering, the Optical Society of America, and most recently the American Association of Physics in Medicine.

Wang is the recipient of several research honors and awards, including the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research in 2010 from the Virginia Tech College of Engineering.

Wang earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Xidian University in China, a master’s degree from the Institute of Remote Sensing Applications at the Graduate School of Academia Sinica in China, and his master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical and computer engineering in 1991 and 1992, respectively, from the University at Buffalo.

Abigail N. Koppes, Biomedical Engineering Graduate Student in the Thompson Research Group, was awarded

3^rd place for the Vodovnic Award for outstanding student paper and received a travel award at the International

Functional Electrical Stimulation Society Annual Meeting in Banff, Alberta Canada (September 2012).

Her presentation was entitled : “Exogenous Electrical Stimulation Promotes Unbiased, Robust  Neurite Outgrowth

and Non-Neural Cell Migration in 2D and 3D“.  Five current and former  Biomedical Engineering undergraduate

researchers (Current) Kevin Keating, Nicole Goodsell,  Laura Williams and (BMED Alumni) Haley Darwish,

Gina Paolillo were listed as co-authors. 

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has named Curt Breneman as the new head of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Breneman has been with Rensselaer since 1989. He was formerly the acting head of the department.

“I congratulate Dr. Breneman and look forward to his continued, strong leadership within the School of Science at Rensselaer,” said Dean of the School of Science Laurie Leshin. “Dr. Breneman is an exceptional teacher and scientist. As acting head of the department, his leadership has been an important part of the success of chemistry at Rensselaer and I am delighted to formalize his role here.”

Breneman has written more than 85 academic papers and 15 book chapters, and has presented over 250 invited lectures. Throughout his career, he has served as a consultant to many companies, including General Electric, Eastman Kodak, Google, and multiple pharmaceutical and drug discovery companies. He was named a fellow of the American Chemical Society in 2011.

In addition to his leadership within the department, Breneman is also the director of the Rensselaer Exploratory Center for Cheminformatics Research (RECCR). His research focuses on understanding and predicting the behavior of molecules in a variety of environments. One of his most important contributions to the field is the development of an entirely new kind of molecular modeling called the Transferable Atom Equivalent, or TAE, method. The method allows quick and accurate computational reconstruction of molecules, including new drug candidates and nanocomposite materials with specialized properties. This technology enabled the development of predictive cheminformatics methods capable of screening large databases of potential drug-like compounds for potency, metabolic outcomes, or undesirable side effects, and can also be used for screening new polymer materials for important physical and/or electrical properties.

Rensselaer Biomedical Engineers Team Up With College of Saint Rose, Capital Region Artists To Teach Visitors About Nerves and Spinal Cord Injury Through Art

A large challenge for scientists and engineers is generating public awareness and understanding of their research. Several biomedical engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have collaborated with artists from the College of Saint Rose and the surrounding Capital Region to bring their research on healing the nervous system to the public through art.

The first workshop exhibition of their collaboration will be open to the public on May 11, from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. with guided tours occurring at 3:30 p.m. or 5 p.m. in the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies at Rensselaer. Between the tours will be an exhibit symposium from 4:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. to discuss the future of the collaboration, which is being funded in part by the National Science Foundation.

The exhibit focuses on the research being conducted in the laboratories of two members of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Rensselaer: Assistant Professor Guohao Dai and Assistant Professor Ryan Gilbert. The creation of the artistic works was led by Visiting Assistant Professor of Art at Saint Rose, G.E. Washington. Washington was joined in the creation of the artistic works in the exhibit by Professor Kristine Tolmie, Amy Pollicino, Juan Ramos, Jason Cosco, and Saint Rose graduate assistants Melinda Crowther and Chris Skaggs. Several Rensselaer graduate students in the Biomedical Engineering Department have assisted in communicating the science to artists and in organizing the exhibit, including Courtney Dumont, Dianna Kim, Abby Koppes, Ryan Koppes, Anna Lorenz, Chris McKay, Nick Schaub, and Scott Wentzell.