Robert T. Tranquillo PhD

Prof. Tranquillo received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 1986 from the University of Pennsylvania. He was a NATO Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Mathematical Biology at Oxford for one year before beginning his appointment in the Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science at the University of Minnesota in 1987. He has served as the head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering since its inception in 2000. Prof. Tranquillo has used a combined modeling and experimental approach to understand cell behavior, in particular, directed cell migration, and cell-matrix mechanical interactions. More recently, his research program has focused on the role of these cell behaviors in cardiovascular and neural tissue engineering applications. His research program has resulted in over 110 peer-reviewed original research publications, being recognized with his selection for the TERMIS-AM Senior Scientist Award in 2015. Prof. Tranquillo is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering, and the Biomedical Engineering Society, and he is also a Distinguished McKnight University Professor.