Two Engineering faculty named AIMBE fellows

Staff Report

The American Institute of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering has elected Klaus Ley and Thomas C. Skalak as fellows. Both are U.Va. professors of biomedical engineering.

The institute recognized Ley for his outstanding contributions to the study of the mechanics of adhesion molecules and their role in inflammation and atherosclerosis. The institute cited Skalak for his work on microvascular mechanics, vascular adaptation and mathematical modeling of the microcirculatory networks.

"Klaus Ley and Tom Skalak have been instrumental in making the Department of Biomedical Engineering one of the best in the nation," said Richard Miksad, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. "They are both tireless researchers and inspiring teachers."

Ley's research focuses on the role of selectins, an adhesion molecule involved in the recruitment of cells from the blood stream, as part of the inflammation process. A medical doctor, he holds a joint appointment with U.Va.'s Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics. Ley has studied the differences between the three types of selectins and their role in leukocyte, or white blood cell, selection during inflammation. Two other research projects include: the role of selectins and other adhesion molecules in the development of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, and the role of selectin and integrin, another adhesion molecule, in the spread of cancer.

Skalak's work centers on microvascular network remodeling. The microvessel network is critical to cardiovascular health, delivering oxygen and nutrients and removing metabolic waste. This highly adaptable system can remodel itself in response to mechanical and biochemical stimuli. A central thrust of Skalak's research is understanding vascular adaptation to environmental conditions and vascular diseases. He is interested in remodeling as a function of mechanical stresses, vascular pattern formation and engineering of wound prevention and repair.

AIMBE's principal activities include participation in the formulation of public policy; the dissemination of information, both to the public and scientific community, through publications and forums; and education.
For more information, see the Biomedical Engineering Web site at http://www.med.virginia.edu/bme/faculty.html.