News Release

Bioengineers inducted into prestigious biomedical institution

San Diego, Calif., April 8, 2020 --  Two researchers at the Jacobs School of Engineering were inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). Professors Christian Metallo from the Department of Bioengineering and Rob Knight from the Departments of Computer Science, Bioengineering and Pediatrics were inducted along with 156 colleagues who make up the AIMBE College of Fellows Class of 2020.

The College of Fellows is comprised of the top 2 percent of medical and biological engineers in the country, including the most accomplished and distinguished engineering and medical school chairs, research directors, professors, innovators and successful entrepreneurs. AIMBE Fellows are recognized for their contributions in teaching, research and innovation. 

Rob Knight

Knight was recognized for his development of state-of-the-art computational and experimental techniques to probe the microbiome. As co-founder of the Earth Microbiome Project and American Gut Project, Knight’s research aims to understand the role of the microbiome in diseases ranging from obesity to mental illness. He develops new data visualization methods to handle large amounts of microbial data from spatially and temporally mapping microbial communities on scales from a human body to our planet. 

Christian Metallo

Metallo was honored for the development and application of metabolic flux analysis technologies to better understand the biochemical pathways that drive cancer and neuropathy. His research focuses on metabolism within cells and tissues to understand how dysregulation of nutrient processing drives disease. His research could lead to new targets for therapeutic drugs designed to stop cancer cell growth and mitigate neuropathy or macular disease.

AIMBE’s mission is to recognize excellence in, and advocate for, the fields of medical and biological engineering in order to advance society. Since 1991, AIMBE‘s College of Fellows has led the way for technological growth and advancement in the fields of medical and biological engineering. Fellows have helped revolutionize medicine and related fields in order to enhance and extend the lives of people all over the world. They have also successfully advocated public policies that have enabled researchers and business-makers to further the interests of engineers, teachers, scientists, clinical practitioners, and ultimately, patients.

Media Contacts

Katherine Connor
Jacobs School of Engineering
858-534-8374
khconnor@ucsd.edu