“The Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering is a key, unique component of the Institute,” notes Dr. George Wodicka, head of the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue.  “Our expertise in medical device design, prototyping, and development, including bionanotechnology approaches, combined with our proven track record in bringing effective products to market will be invaluable to the Institute.”

The National Institutes of Health has awarded a five-year Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) of $25 million to the IU School of Medicine, which will fund CTSI activities at IU and Purdue. A total of $56 million will be invested in the Indiana CTSI by IU and Purdue, the state of Indiana and Eli Lilly and Co., which is underwriting the cost of a senior faculty position for three years.

The CTSI will implement the NIH initiative in Indiana with new programs to accelerate translational research, train new translational researchers, interact with community health-care professionals and the public, build research resources and technologies, and leverage Hoosier resources with health care, business, government and foundation partnerships.

The Indiana CTSI’s statewide collaboration involves university scientists in Indianapolis, Lafayette and Bloomington. However, the initiative also includes community partners such as Clarian Health, Eli Lilly and Co., BioCrossroads, Cook Group, Roche, WellPoint, the Indiana Economic Development Corp., the Indiana Department of Health and the Marion County Health Department.

Anantha Shekhar, M.D., Ph.D., professor of psychiatry at IU School of Medicine and IU assistant vice president for life sciences, has been named director of the Indiana CTSI. Connie Weaver, Ph.D., head of the Department of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue, has been named deputy director of the CTSI at Purdue. Bennett Bertenthal, Ph.D., dean of the IU College of Arts and Sciences, has been named deputy director for the IU Bloomington campus.

Willis A. Tacker, Jr., Ph.D., M.D., a Purdue professor in the Department of Basic Medical Sciences and part of the team brought from Baylor by Geddes to start biomedical engineering research at Purdue and who has been a colleague of Dr. Geddes for 43 years:

“Dr Geddes is a national treasure.  The impact of his life on other people – many of whom don’t even know his name - has been enormous.  His scientific contributions span decades. His work has prolonged the lives and improved the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people.  His development of devices, materials and procedures has created products, companies and jobs for thousands of people.  Even forty-five years ago his medical monitoring devices helped to put the first Americans in space.  His teaching has inspired thousands of students, and those students will no doubt inspire others.  Probably his most lasting greatness resides in the ongoing, dynamic lives of his students and subsequently in their students.  His contributions will accelerate and enlarge themselves long after individuals forget that Les Geddes was the source of the inspiration, the contribution and the benefit, and that of course, is every teacher’s dream.”

Kinam Park, Ph.D, Showalter Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Pharmaceutics:

“The National Medal of Technology Award is an ultimate honor for all scientists, and it is only natural that Dr. Geddes receives this award.  Dr. Geddes is not only a great scientist but also, more importantly, a great person. He deserves another award, the National Medal of Inspiration Award for his life-long efforts of motivating others, particularly young scientists.  He has been a role model for numerous scientists, including me.  I am so honored to follow his footsteps as the current Showalter Distinguished Professor, and he has set the bar so high that it is rather questionable whether anyone can reach that level, but it is always comforting to know that Dr. Geddes is in the same campus and ready to give us advice at moment’s notice.  We the Boilermakers could not be happier and more proud with such a timely recognition of Dr. Geddes, a hard Boilermaker!”

Sherry L. Voytik-Harbin, Purdue Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Associate Professor of Basic Medical Sciences:

Les Geddes is an innovator, idea generator, educator, mentor, and friend like no other.  He is truly an inspiration to me and many other individuals
whose lives he’s touched.  His selfless and tireless efforts to develop and grow biomedical engineering and a spirit of entrepreneurship will leave an everlasting mark at Purdue, within the State of Indiana, and internationally.  The recent announcement that he is to receive the National Medal of
Technology Award later this month is so fitting as he has made countless scientific contributions and has had such positive impact on medicine and
society.  I look forward every day to his guiding words of wisdom which are typically delivered to me before the sun is up.  As a graduate student and now as a faculty member, one of my goals continues to be to beat him to work in the morning.

The White House and Department of Commerce have announced that Dr. Leslie A. Geddes, Purdue University’s Showalter Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biomedical Engineering, is a 2006 National Medal of Technology Laureate.  The award, the nation’s highest honor for technological innovation, will be presented “for contributions to electrode design and tissue restoration that have led to the widespread use of numerous clinical devices. His discoveries and inventions have saved and enriched thousands of lives and have formed the cornerstone of much of the modern implantable medical device field.”

Because of Dr. Geddes and the teams he has created, led, and inspired, burn victims today heal with fewer scars, heart patients exercise with greater confidence, athletes and “weekend warriors” can repair damaged tendons and ligaments, and infants can be monitored in a more holistic approach.  By laying a solid foundation of fundamentals with his early work and continually building onto that foundation throughout his lengthy career, Dr. Geddes has made a direct impact on the everyday lives of untold people. 

More information on the award can be found here and the official UNS release can be found here.