NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – Two University of Oklahoma scientists, Ann West and Resham Bhattacharya, were recently elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering’s College of Fellows, representing the top 2% of experts in their fields.
West holds the the Grayce B. Kerr Centennial Chair in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, is an associate vice president for research and partnerships and director of a National Institutes of Health-funded Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) in structural biology. She was elected for her “outstanding scientific contributions to molecular engineering and visionary academic leadership in promoting interdisciplinary biosciences and biomedical engineering research.”
Bhattacharya is a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the OU College of Medicine, co-leader of the Cancer Biology Program and an Oklahoma’s Tobacco Settle Endowment Trust (TSET) research scholar. She was elected for her “pioneering BMI1 research in ovarian cancer, leading to clinical trials and key insights into cellular uptake and delivery.”
To be elected an AIMBE Fellow, a researcher must demonstrate significant contributions to medical and biological engineering research, education or practice, as well as to professional societies or public service. AIMBE Fellows represent the most accomplished leaders in the fields of medical and biological engineering.
Learn more about the 2025 AIMBA Fellows and view the full list of honorees.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
Ana J. Chucair-Elliott, Ph.D., an assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and research member of Dean McGee Eye Institute, has been funded by the BrightFocus Foundation to investigate how aging, diet and inflammation contribute to retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) degeneration, a deterioration of the layer of cells in the back of the eye.
On Tuesday, May 13, the University of Oklahoma’s Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis hosted the final Academy meeting of the Socially Sustainable Solutions for Water, Carbon, and Infrastructure Resilience in Oklahoma, or S3OK, project. Funded by the National Science Foundation through the EPSCoR program, the event brought together academic researchers and statewide practitioners for a forward-looking capstone event in Oklahoma City.
The Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships recognized faculty recipients of the awards for excellence in campus-wide research and creative activities, as well as eight recipients of active early career awards, 25 project teams that earned $1 million or more in extramural funding and nine recipients of patents at a ceremony on May 16.
