Ameer elected a Biomaterials Science and Engineering Fellow
SQI member Guillermo Ameer has been elected a Fellow of Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE) by the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering (IUSBSE), the highest honor the global biomaterials community can bestow on outstanding scientists. With his election, Ameer joins a group of fewer than 500 biomaterials scientists worldwide who have been named a FBSE.
Ameer will be formally inducted May 27 at the World Biomaterials Congress in Daegu, South Korea. Fellowships recognize those who have gained a status of excellent professional standing and high achievements in the field of biomaterials science and engineering.
Ameer is the Daniel Hale Williams Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the McCormick School of Engineering and professor of surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine. He is a leader in regenerative engineering, biomaterials, additive manufacturing for biomedical devices, controlled drug delivery, and bio/nanotechnology for therapeutics and diagnostics.
Ameer pioneered the development and tissue regeneration applications of citrate-based biomaterials, which are the core technology behind the innovative bioresorbable orthopedic tissue fixation devices CITRELOCK, CITREFIX, CITRESPLINE, CITRELOCK ACL, and CITRELOCK DUO. All of these devices have been cleared by the FDA for clinical use in musculoskeletal surgeries. The CITRELOCK tendon fixation device and CITREFIX suture anchor launched in 2021 and 2022, respectively, are marketed worldwide by Stryker Corporation’s foot and ankle business.
CITRELOCK ACL and CITRELOCK DUO are intended for sports medicine applications. The first use of CITRELOCK ACL in a knee reconstruction surgery was announced in June 2023. CITRELOCK DUO is a fixation device for biceps tenodesis (biceps tendon tears caused by injury or overuse).
Ameer directs Northwestern’s Center for Advanced Regenerative Engineering (CARE), an interdisciplinary research center that integrates and supports research, education, technology development, and clinical expertise to improve the outcome of tissue and organ repair and regeneration for adult and pediatric patients. He is also the director of the Regenerative Engineering Training Program, an NIH-funded predoctoral training program that integrates team mentoring, convergence research, industrial experiential learning, and clinical experiential learning.
Recent recognition of Ameer’s accomplishments includes the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Athanasiou Medal of Excellence in Translational Bioengineering, his induction into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the 2023 Excellence in Biomaterials Science Award by the Surfaces in Biomaterials Foundation, and the 2023 Leadership Professional Impact Award by the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering.
The IUSBSE is a body that brings together national and multi-national groups dedicated to the advancement of biomaterials, surgical implants, prosthetics, artificial organs, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.
Note: This article was first published by the McCormick School of Engineering.