Marvin J. Slepian, MD, Regents’ Professor, professor of medicine and a McGuire Scholar in the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona, has been elected president of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO).
Dr. Slepian, also a professor of medical imaging and a professor and associate department head of biomedical engineering at the UA, received the honor June 29 at the society’s 65th annual meeting in San Francisco.
The society promotes the development of innovative medical-device technology “at the crossroads of science, engineering and medicine,” according to its website. Membership is comprised of clinicians, scientists, engineers, industry leaders, members of academia and the financial community, as well as representatives of the Food and Drug Administration, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. The international “think tank” advances the medical device, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine fields to provide solutions that culminate in the development of novel, life-saving technologies. ASAIO in particular works to promote and advance students and young professionals to enter the broad field of medical innovation.
Dr. Slepian’s extensive research career has resulted in innovative diagnostics and therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases. His work has focused on the development and use of novel biomaterials for tissue engineering, drug delivery and medical-device development.
Among many examples of his lab’s “firsts” are the first biodegradable coronary stent and arterial paving system, providing support, barrier and local drug delivery to restore flow and heal blood vessels, and the first FDA-approved total artificial heart – completely replacing and restoring lost cardiac pump function.
Dr. Slepian, also a member of the UA BIO5 Institute and the UA Sarver Heart Center, as well as a professor of materials science and engineering, founded and directs the Arizona Center for Accelerated Biomedical Innovation, a university-wide “creativity engine” or “inventors’ workshop,” helping faculty members and students develop and amplify ideas into practical innovations and products to improve life and health.
Dr. Slepian also is past-president of the International Society for Mechanical Circulatory Support, a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and an elected member of Biomedical Engineering Materials and Applications roundtable of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.
About the University of Arizona Health Sciences
The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Tucson and Phoenix), Nursing, Pharmacy, and the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs nearly 5,000 people, has approximately 900 faculty members and garners $173.5 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: uahs.arizona.edu (Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn | Instagram)