STEM

Stevenson Biomaterials Lecture Nov. 19 focuses on degradable biomaterial-based approaches to improve outcomes in soft tissue repair

Wednesday, November 11, 2009, By Kelly Homan Rodoski

The Syracuse Biomaterials Institute in the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science will host the fall Stevenson Biomaterials Lecture on Thursday, Nov. 19.

Dr. William R. Wagner, professor of surgery, bioengineering and chemical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh and deputy director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, will speak on “Degradable Supports to Direct Soft Tissue Regeneration: Applications in Cardiac Failure.” The lecture will be held from 1-2 p.m. in Room 500 of the Hall of Languages; it is free and open to the public.

A luncheon will precede the lecture at noon. For reservations, contact Karen Low at 443-3544 or kplow@syr.edu by Monday, Nov. 16.

For mechanically active soft tissues it is increasingly appreciated that the mechanical environment in which the damaged tissue heals impacts the direction and outcome of the remodeling process. To develop biomaterial-based approaches to improve outcomes in soft tissue repair, Dr. Wagner and his colleagues have created degradable supports that act as scaffolds for new tissue generation or as temporary load-bearing elements during the remodeling process.

Dr. Wagner’s research group works in the area of cardiovascular engineering with projects addressing medical device biocompatibility and design, biomaterials and tissue engineering, and targeted imaging. These efforts span from modeling and in vitro studies to clinical research.

Dr. Wagner is the founding editor of the biomaterials journal Acta Bio-materialia and is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), the Biomedical Engineering Society, the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering and the American Heart Association. He is also currently president-elect for the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs and serves on the executive boards of AIMBE and the International Federation of Artificial Organs.

The Syracuse Biomaterials Institute is an interdisciplinary institute focusing on the research of natural and synthetic substances designed to treat, augment or replace tissues and organs of the human body.

The Stevenson Lecture Series is made possible through the generous support of Ann McComber Stevenson ’52 (Nursing) and Trustee Emeritus Milton F. Stevenson III ’53 (Chemical Engineering). Each semester, the series brings pioneering biomaterials researchers to the Syracuse campus. Presenters are selected based on their leading roles in biomaterials research, and are asked to speak on their latest endeavors. In addition, Stevenson Lecturers visit with faculty and students to exchange ideas, build bridges, and become familiar with the broad range of biomaterials activities at Syracuse University.