In vivo studies of blood rheology in the microcirculation in an in vitro world: Past, present and future

摘要

It is indeed an honor to be recognized for one's contributions to the field of Biorheology by receiving this prestigious medal named after one of the greatest physiologists and most talented bioengineers, Jean Marie Leonard Poiseuille. The list of the previous fourteen winners of the Poiseuille medal represent a who's who of science and engineering, and I am humbled to be mentioned in the same breath with them. I am grateful to the International Society of Biorheology (ISB) for this award, and their recognition of my contributions to the field over the past 40 years. In many respects, my path toward this achievement is as convoluted as the microvasculature that brought me to this point. I began my professional career as an aerospace engineer with bachelor's and master's degrees in aerospace engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. It is interesting to note that Brooklyn Poly (as it was known for over a hundred years) was also the last academic home of the late Alfred L. Copley (although he arrived there several years after I graduated) who received the Poiseuille Medal in 1972 and was one of the founding fathers of the field of biorheology, and the forerunner of the ISB. Another pioneer in the field of blood flow at Poly was the late George Bugliarello, who served as its president from 1973-1994.