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Nerem International Travel Award Winner Announced

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Lucas Timmins, PhD, has been awarded the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience’s (Petit Institute) Robert M. Nerem International Travel Award. Timmins, a post-doctoral fellow in Don Giddens’, PhD, laboratory, will receive $3,000 to travel to the Imperial College of London to learn a unique model of atherosclerosis. 

“From a professional standpoint I am looking forward to expanding my research training and skill-set, which will provide a solid foundation as I begin my independent career in academic research,” said Timmins.

Timmins’ travel to London will enable him to develop computational methods and techniques required to construct computational fluid dynamic models.  He will use microtomography and magnetic resonance imaging data to understand biomechanical stimuli in the development of atherosclerosis.

"Luke will be working with a unique, hemodynamically altered model of atherosclerosis that allows for a multi-scale approach in understanding this disease.  Luke's knowledge of computational fluid dynamics will be a significant benefit to Rob Krams' research group,” Giddens explained. "In addition, Luke's visit will strengthen the long-standing professional relationship between my research group and Imperial College London, and serve as a greater benefit in further developing the linkages between bioengineering research in the Petit Institute and Imperial."

The Nerem International Travel Award was endowed by Nerem’s colleagues and friends in appreciation of the impact that Nerem has had on many. As the Petit Institute’s founding director, Nerem passionately served the community for 14 years and successfully led the institute to national and international prominence in the fields of bioengineering and bioscience.

“Everyone who knows Nerem, knows he loves to travel. His travels have brought him to all corners of the world and it is through his travel that he has served as a great champion of Georgia Tech, the Petit Institute and biocommunity as a whole,” stated Robert Guldberg, executive director of the Petit Institute.  

Beginning in 2005, this award has allowed trainees an opportunity to travel to a wide variety of international research universities and institutes, including the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden; RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Japan; the National University of Singapore; University of Twente,The Netherlands; Queensland University of Technology, Australia; and Consorzio Interuniversitario Lombardo per L’Elaborazione Automatica, Milan, Italy.

“I am so proud of this annual award as it affords the opportunity for a trainee to broaden their research experiences by establishing an international collaboration and travel to another university or institution,” Nerem stated. “Opening one's eyes to new techniques and research facilities will have a profound impact on Timmins’ research and training.”

“It is truly is an honor to receive an award that bears Dr. Nerem's name given his distinguished dedication to bioengineering research and commitment to mentorship,” said Timmins. “I also want to sincerely thank the friends of Dr. Nerem’s and the Petit Institute for providing such an outstanding opportunity to its graduate students and post-docs.”

Timmins has co-authored nine well-cited peer reviewed publications, serving as lead author on five. He is co-author on 20 conference abstract proceedings and has given numerous presentations at engineering and clinical professional conferences. Timmins currently serves as an ad-hoc reviewer for over 12 journals and is a member of the Fluid Mechanics and Solid Mechanics Technical Committees of the ASME Bioengineering Division. In addition, Timmins also received an inaugural Whitaker International Fellowship from the Whitaker Program and was awarded an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Status

  • Workflow Status:Published
  • Created By:Megan McDevitt
  • Created:06/10/2012
  • Modified By:Fletcher Moore
  • Modified:10/07/2016