By Elise Morgan, Dean, College of Engineering
It is my great pleasure to make the official announcement that Dr. Shannon Stott will be the next chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
During the nationwide search run over the last academic year, Shannon stood out amidst a strong pool of world class academic leaders and scholars. She is internationally known as a leading researcher in using microfluidics to detect rare biomarkers, especially for cancer. Her research program is expansive, running the gamut from fundamental science to translational biomedical engineering, and covering not only microfluidics but also biomaterials development and high-resolution imaging of tumors and developing tissues. Shannon has more than 70 publications, and her research has already garnered more than 29,000 citations and 25 issued patents. She has deep experience with a diversity of funding sources, including NIH, NSF, and DOD, as well as awards from private foundations and industry agreements.
Shannon is an exceptional leader with qualities ideally suited for BU BME. Her visionary research at the nexus of engineering, biology, and medicine, her collaborative leadership style in research and administration, and her deep commitment to both student education and career success of her faculty and staff colleagues will advance excellence in BU BME’s research and teaching missions and will propel the department to new levels of eminence nationwide and globally.
-Elise Morgan, Dean, College of Engineering
Alongside her research program, Shannon brings a wealth of experience in program leadership, education, and mentoring. She is the Scientific Director of an American Cancer Society post-baccalaureate program and has been an active member of multiple NSF Engineering Resource Centers throughout her career. She has served with distinction for many years in the Bioengineering Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), including terms as secretary and chair, and now as a member of the ASME-wide TEC Council, a leadership position that works to set direction of this 100k member organization. She has won awards for her teaching and mentoring, and she has been the primary research mentor for more than 20 postdoctoral fellows, many of whom went on to faculty positions, and 40 undergraduate students.
Shannon earned her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and was a postdoctoral fellow working jointly with Center for Engineering in Medicine, Department of Surgery, and Center for Cancer Research at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). She is presently a faculty member in the Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research and Department of Medicine at MGH and holds additional appointments in the MGH Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery, the Department of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.