UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

(Press-News.org) Jennifer L. West, Dean of the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and the Saunders Family Professor of Engineering, has been awarded the 2025 Pierre Galletti Award, the highest honor from the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).

West is recognized for her “innovative research in biomaterials and nanomedicine, her leadership in the field, and her dedication to mentoring the next generation of biomedical engineers.” The Galletti Award is named after AIMBE’s founding member and past president and recognizes a career-long commitment to advancing the field through transformative research, service and advocacy.

West has a formidable record of accomplishments spanning 30 years as a transformational researcher, award-winning teacher and mentor, inventor and entrepreneur. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Medicine and National Academy of Inventors and is known for applying engineering approaches to studying biological problems and solving unmet medical needs, particularly in the fight against cancer.

“I am honored to be chosen by the AIMBE to receive the 2025 Pierre Galletti Award in recognition of my biomaterials and nanomedicine research,” said West. “I am grateful to my students, post-docs, collaborators, colleagues and mentors for helping to make this possible.”

Advancing Cancer Treatment with Nanotechnology West’s nanomedicine research has changed the way scientists think about treating cancer. She developed biocompatible nanoparticles that can be injected into the body and heated with near-infrared light to destroy tumors — without harming surrounding healthy tissue​. Her approach offers a level of precision that conventional treatments often lack, ultimately supporting better treatment outcomes and patient well-being.

Her research laid the foundation for an entire field. Today, more than 250,000 scientific studies reference nanoparticle-based photothermal therapy, an idea that was nearly unheard of before her early work​. The therapy has made its way into clinical trials, offering new hope to patients battling hard-to-treat cancers​.

A New Approach to Regenerative Medicine In other projects, West’s research has also changed how scientists think about biomaterials. She developed a specialized class of hydrogels that mimic the body’s extracellular matrix, providing a scaffold that allows cells to grow, remodel and regenerate tissue​. Unlike traditional hydrogels, which often degrade at a predetermined rate, West’s version is biologically responsive — breaking down in response to enzymes secreted by surrounding cells, much like how natural tissue evolves during wound healing and regeneration​.

The core idea behind these hydrogels is that they work with the body instead of against it. But what makes West’s approach stand out even more is its adaptability. Researchers have applied her method across multiple material types, and these materials are now being explored for a range of medical uses — not just wound healing, but also soft tissue repair and drug delivery.

Christine Schmidt, Distinguished Professor and J. Crayton Pruitt Family Endowed Chair at the University of Florida and 2023’s Galletti Award recipient, calls West’s impact “extraordinary.”

“Jennifer has reshaped the way we design biomaterials,” Schmidt says. “Her work has made it possible to create materials that don’t just sit in the body but actually interact with cells, encouraging healing. She’s also a fierce advocate for young scientists, and many of her former trainees are now leading researchers in their own right.”

A Career of Meaningful Impact With more than 225 research publications and more than 60,000 citations, West’s influence stretches across academia, industry and clinical practice​​. An innovator, West holds 20 patents that have been licensed to ten different companies, including Nanospectra Biosciences Inc., which she co-founded. 

As the dean of UVA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, West has built upon the school’s research trajectory, expanded undergraduate research and experiential learning opportunities for students, and prioritized building a clear pathway to entrepreneurship for faculty and students. Prior to joining UVA in 2021, West was the Fitzpatrick Family University Distinguished Professor of Engineering and Associate Dean for Ph.D. Education at Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering. 

AIMBE President Lola Eniola-Adefeso, Ph.D, said, “Jennifer is receiving the Galletti Award not just for her innovative research in biomaterials and nanomedicine, but also her leadership in the field.”

West has left a lasting mark on the biomedical engineering community and its future. She became an AIMBE fellow in 2005 and served as chair of AIMBE’s College of Fellows in 2014. She mentored dozens of young researchers and played a key role in expanding research programs that bridge engineering and medicine.

Jeffrey Hubbell, Eugene Bell Professor in Tissue Engineering and vice dean and executive officer in the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago, describes her as someone who “moves effortlessly between materials science and biology while always keeping an eye on what truly matters — helping patients.”

For West, the biggest reward is seeing the impact of her work on people.

“Science isn’t just about discovery — it’s about impact,” West says. “The best part of this job is knowing that the work we do in the lab today could change someone’s life tomorrow.”

AIMBE Honorees Celebrated March 30

West accepted the Pierre Galletti Award at the AIMBE annual meeting on March 30, where she delivered a keynote address.

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