In the latest issue of Engineering at Maryland: Built for Breakthrough, Amal Shabazz and Lexi Christensen are acknowledged for their work in advancing breast reconstruction. See below for the entire story:

More than 100,000 women undergo mastectomies each year to treat or prevent breast cancer. Though the procedure can be lifesaving, its emotional toll can be devastating: More than two-thirds of patients say the changes in their bodies led them to experience significant psychological distress. While breast reconstruction can help, the process is incomplete at best, in part because there are few methods to effectively recreate the pigmented area of the breast known as the nipple-areolar complex (NAC). Many women feel that tattoos, a common solution, are a far from perfect replacement. That may soon change, thanks to efforts led by graduate students Lexi Christensen and Amal Shabazz, who work in John Fisher’s laboratory within the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. Christensen, Shabazz, and Fisher have developed a promising 3D-printed NAC that pairs non-degradable materials to support the NAC’s shape and mechanical properties with degradable biomaterials that support the growth of connective tissue and blood vessels within the implant. The work offers a level of sophistication that was all but impossible to create previously, says Fisher. “3D printing can precisely assemble many materials and many cell types into an object in ways that can’t be replicated by other processes,” he says. “We can use printing to build tissues that approach the complexity of our own tissues.” Their efforts are gaining momentum: After securing initial support from an NIH grant, Fisher and his team are partnering with a local Maryland company to help build implants ready for FDA approval—and patient use—before 2030.

The story was adapted from the Engineering at Maryland Fall/Winter 2024 issue.

Before the start of Thanksgiving break, the lab decided to have a fun lunch at Looneys to celebrate all the hard work that has been accomplish this semester. This also gave our new rotational grad student a chance to get to know other members of the lab. Overall, it was a fantastic opportunity to catch up with one another and commemorate the closing of an amazing year in lab.

Announced on October 11, 2023 at the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting in Seattle, WA, John P. Fisher, Chair of the Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BIOE) at the University of Maryland, has been named Chair of the Council of Chairs for 2025.

The Council of Chairs (CoC) is a national assembly of more than 150 bioengineering and biomedical engineering department chairs. Supported by BMES, the Council meets throughout the year to help guide bioengineering and biomedical engineering academic units across the country as well as the biomedical engineering field as a whole.

Recently elected to the BMES Board of Directors, Fisher has been a long-time, active member of the Society since 2003. He has served in various roles, including abstract reviewer, session chair, and track chair in numerous Annual BMES Meetings. In 2016, Fisher was named a Fellow of BMES, and in 2018, he was Co-Chair of the BMES Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, spearheading the large celebration of the BMES 50th Anniversary.

Established in 1968, BMES is the world’s leading professional society for students, faculty, researchers, and industry professionals in biomedical engineering. With over 6,800 members, the society is committed to fostering an inclusive community to advance human health through education, discovery, and translation.

Now serving both on the BMES Board of Directors and as a leader among the Council of Chairs, Fisher is looking forward to guiding positive impact among the biomedical engineering community.

“With the Council of Chairs, I aim to address the health, equity, and economic challenges experienced in our communities today,” says Fisher, who is MPower Professor, Distinguished-Scholar Teacher, and Fischell Family Distinguished Professor at UMD. He is also Director of the Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Lab at UMD, where he leads his research team in investigating biomaterials, stem cells, bioprinting, and bioreactors for the regeneration of lost tissues.

“Historically, I have advocated for enhanced support for students and young investigators in biomedical engineering. Key initiatives I would like to bring with me to the CoC include reducing financial barriers to education and research; encouraging mentorship; and expanding opportunities for positively impacting our broader communities.”

Fisher currently serves as Past-President of the Americas Chapter of TERMIS and was the Co-Chair of the 2014 TERMIS-Americas Annual Meeting. In his TERMIS leadership roles, Fisher led efforts to broaden the TERMIS-Americas Chapter from North America to the entire Americas, established the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee within the chapter, and participated in a delegation to South Africa to launch Africa’s first tissue engineering society.

In addition, Dr. Fisher currently serves as the Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Tissue Engineering while serving on the editorial boards of key biomedical engineering journals such as the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A; Bioprinting; Biofabrication; and the Journal of Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine.

Fisher will serve as Chair-Elect on the CoC during 2024 before beginning his term as Chair in 2025.

Story Provided by the Fischell Department of Bioengineering.