An Named AIMBE Fellow

Outdoor headshot of Hongyu An, PhD.

Hongyu An, PhD, professor of radiology and director of the Biomedical MR Center (BMRC) for Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology (MIR) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, has been named a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).

The AIMBE College of Fellows consists of about 3,000 members who excel in medical and biological engineering, including accomplished leaders and innovators in academia, industry, education, clinical practice and government. This honor is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to medical and biological engineers and is awarded to those who are nominated, reviewed and elected by peers and members of the college.

An — who also serves as the associate director of MIR’s Center for Clinical Imaging Research as well as a professor of biomedical engineering and of neurology — was elected “for outstanding contributions in advancing the technology of magnetic resonance imaging alone and in combination with positron emission tomography (PET/MRI)” according to a press release from AIMBE. She is renowned for her expertise in MR physics, pulse sequences and image reconstruction analysis. An’s work has led to the first validated MR approach to measuring cerebral oxygen extraction fraction in humans, which has helped answer key questions regarding the neuropathological impact of sickle cell disease in children, acute ischemic stroke and stroke risk prediction.

“AIMBE is an excellent platform for me to advocate biomedical engineering for the benefit of society,” said An. “I look forward to joining other AIMBE fellows in promoting biomedical research by effectively communicating and engaging the public.”

A total of 122 individuals were inducted into the AIMBE fellowship class this year during a ceremony in Arlington, Virginia, including three other honorees from Washington University: Elliot L. Elson, PhD, emeritus professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics; Srikanth Singamaneni, PhD, the Lilyan & E. Lisle Hughes Professor of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science; and Jessica Wagenseil, DSc, professor and vice dean for faculty advancement in the McKelvey School of Engineering.

Read more from the McKelvey School of Engineering.