ENMED

Engineering & Medicine

Pettigrew joins group of world-renowned scientists on Excellence in Science and Technology Panel

By EnMed

Regeneron ISEF 2021 – Excellence in Science and Technology Panel

Dr. Roderic Pettigrew recently joined Nobel laureates Dr. Frances Arnold and Dr. H. Robert Horvitz, and MacArthur “genius grant” Fellow Dr. Monika Schleier-Smith, on the Excellence in Science and Technology Panel for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. Together the group answered questions from student finalists across the globe who were selected to compete in the international science fair.

Engineering Medicine’s (EnMed) Executive Dean, Dr. Roderic I. Pettigrew, joined a panel of distinguished educators and scientists at the Excellence in Science and Technology Panel for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) sponsored by the Society for Science on May 17.

The panelists answered questions from high school students across the globe who were selected as finalists to compete for nearly $5 million in awards, prizes and scholarships.

Pettigrew, who competed in the ISEF in the 10th grade from Albany, Georgia, during the latter phase of the civil rights era, answered questions from the student finalists on a range of topics, including time management, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on collaborative research, the important role that art plays in STEM and choosing a career in academia over industry.

“Academia and industry careers both provide an opportunity to improve the human condition and that’s what it’s all about,” Pettigrew said. “The appeal of academia for me is that you can pursue a variety of scientific interests while also having the opportunity to interact with students, and how stimulating it is to be with students — I still consider myself to be one of you.”

Pettigrew was joined on the panel by Dr. Frances Arnold, Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology and Nobel laureate in chemistry; Dr. H. Robert Horvitz, David Koch Professor in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Biology and Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine; and Dr. Monika Schleier-Smith, associate professor of physics at Stanford University and 2020 MacArthur Genius Awardee. The panel was moderated by Joe Palca, science correspondent for National Public Radio.

According to the Society for Science, the Excellence in Science and Technology Panel enables students to hear directly from Nobel laureates and other esteemed members of the scientific community, allowing the greatest minds in science to answer the questions of the future. 

ISEF is the world’s oldest and largest science competition with nearly 2,000 high school participants this year who represent more than 60 countries and territories.

Pettigrew co-edits novel biomechanics book

By EnMed

“Biomechanics of Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque: From Model to Patient
“Biomechanics of Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque: From Model to Patient” was co-edited by EnMed’s executive dean, Dr. Roderic Pettigrew.

Engineering Medicine’s (EnMed) executive dean Dr. Roderic Pettigrew has co-edited a new book titled “Biomechanics of Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque: From Model to Patient.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, one out of every four deaths in the United States is caused by heart disease. The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease, which develops when the blood vessels that supply the heart become diseased with the buildup of cholesterol and fatty deposits in the arterial wall forming plaques. This type of buildup can harden the arteries, causing a condition known as atherosclerosis. If left untreated, atherosclerosis can lead to heart attack, heart failure or stroke when arteries in the head and neck are involved.

The 686-page book, published by Elsevier, is the first comprehensive text of its kind to focus on important biomechanical studies of coronary artery disease that have been conducted in the last decade.

“This book is an essential reference for students, researchers, engineers, clinicians and interventional cardiologists who seek to increase their knowledge of coronary atherosclerotic plaque initiation, growth and rupture, and improve the design of medical devices and medical or clinical interventions,” Pettigrew said.

Pettigrew co-edited the book with Dr. Jacques Ohayon, professor of mechanics at the Engineering School Polytech Annecy-Chambéry at the University Savoie Mont-Blanc, France, and Dr. Gerard Finet, director of the medical and interventional cardiology departments at the Cardiovascular Hospital Louis Pradel, Lyon, France. Pettigrew also contributed to multiple chapters in the book in addition to being co-editor.

 

 

 

EnMed’s Roderic Pettigrew announced as Vannevar Bush Award winner

By EnMed

EnMed-dean-Roderic Pettigrew
EnMed’s executive dean, Dr. Roderic Pettigrew, is the nation’s latest recipient of the prestigious Vannevar Bush Award.

Texas A&M’s chief executive officer over the Engineering Health program and executive dean for Engineering Medicine will receive the prestigious lifetime achievement award from the National Science Board.

The organization announced that Dr. Roderic Pettigrew will be presented with the Vannevar Bush Award, one of the nation’s highest science awards. It honors lifelong science and technology leaders who have made exceptional contributions to the welfare of the nation through public service in science and technology and in shaping public policy.

“Roderic Pettigrew’s passion and creativity have spurred innovation in biomedicine,” said Victor McCrary, vice chair of the National Science Board and chair of the 2020 NSB Honorary Awards Subcommittee. “His reimagining of healthcare solutions is helping converge science fields, narrowing gaps between disciplines in a way that really impacts society. Pettigrew is helping us to see what might be, what could be, and what is possible.”

Pettigrew’s contributions are wide-ranging, including his pioneering work with others to develop some of the early foundational techniques for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the cardiovascular system and his service as the founding director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) at the National Institutes of Health.

“It is an incredible honor to receive the Vannevar Bush Award, which is so steeped in science history,” Pettigrew said. “My only regret is that my parents are not alive to share this honor. They were my first role models.”

Texas A&M President Michael K. Young’s pride in Pettigrew is shown in a letter he sent to campus.

“All of us at Texas A&M have long been impressed not only by Dr. Pettigrew’s extraordinary breadth and depth of personal knowledge, but also his understanding that the greatest breakthroughs come from building bridges across many different disciplines,” Young wrote in the letter. “Through his exceptional leadership of our EnMed program and his work to shape public policy, his visionary ideas and his collaborative efforts have helped him have a profound influence on numerous innovations that have solved pressing problems and saved lives.”

The NSB created the award in 1980 in memory of Vannevar Bush, who served as a science advisor to President Franklin Roosevelt during World War II, helped to establish federal funding for science and engineering as a national priority during peacetime and was behind the creation of the National Science Foundation. Past award recipients include: Leon Lederman (Fermilab), Nobel Laureate Harold Varmus (former NIH Director), Nobel Laureate Charles Townes (UC Berkeley -Laser Inventor), David Packard (Hewlett-Packard Company), Rita Colwell (former NSF Director), Charles Vest (former MIT President), and last year, Walter Massey (University of Chicago – oversaw Giant Magellan Telescope).

Pettigrew inducted into American Academy of Arts and Sciences

By EnMed

The American Academy of Arts & Sciences welcomed and inducted Dr. Roderic I. Pettigrew, CEO of Engineering Health (EnHealth) and executive dean of Engineering Medicine (EnMed) at Texas A&M University, into its prestigious honorary society of world leaders during its Online Celebration of New Members held on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Founded during the American Revolution, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences recognizes and convenes highly accomplished individuals from disciplines in arts, sciences and public affairs. Of the 275 new members welcomed by the society this year, Pettigrew was one of only 16 to be recognized by more than one class category.

Dr. Roderic I. Pettigrew pictured in a medical research facility.

“We congratulate these incoming members of the academy for excelling in a broad array of fields; we want to celebrate them and learn from them,” said Nancy C. Andrews, chair of the board of directors of the academy. “When academy members come together, bringing their expertise and insights to our work, they help develop new insights and potential solutions for some of the most complex challenges we face.”

During the event, Pettigrew was invited to share select highlights from his prolific career with other academy members. He spoke about his founding of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Biomedical Engineering (NIBIB) and his current work as the executive dean of EnMed, a new initiative that develops innovation-trained health care professionals known as “physicianeers.” The first education track of its kind, students in EnMed earn both M.D. and M.E. degrees in four years and are required to pursue the design of innovative medical technologies.

“There is a symbiotic relationship between art and science,” Pettigrew said. “There is art in science, and there is art in life. It is an honor to be welcomed into an organization that not only celebrates the relationship between the two disciplines, but uses it to address important issues that will benefit all of society.”

Pettigrew was also recently awarded the Vannevar Bush Award. Bestowed by the National Science Board, this award is one of the nation’s highest science and technology recognitions that honors those who have made exceptional contributions to the welfare of the nation. One of Pettigrew’s earliest contributions was his pioneering work with others to develop some of the early foundational techniques for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the cardiovascular system.

Since its founding 240 years ago, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences has welcomed many distinguished members and includes iconic names such as John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Toni Morrison, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela. As a newly elected member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, Pettigrew will join experts to explore challenges facing society, identify solutions and promote recommendations that advance the public good.

 

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