John C. Bischof Honored by ASME for Meritorious Bioengineering Contributions

NEW YORK, June 26, 2012 – John C. Bischof, Ph.D., a resident of St. Paul, Minn., and Carl and Janet Kuhrmeyer chair in mechanical engineering and distinguished McKnight university professor at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, was honored by ASME for significant work in defining mechanisms of thermal injury at the molecular, cellular and vascular level, thereby improving thermal therapies and biopreservation of biomaterials; and for biomedical society leadership, course and symposia development, and student and junior faculty mentorship in biotransport.  He received the ASME Van C. Mow Medal.

The medal, established in 2004, recognizes demonstrated meritorious contributions to the field of bioengineering through research, education, professional development, leadership in the development of the profession, mentorship to young bioengineers, and for service to the bioengineering community.  It was presented to Dr. Bischof during the Summer Bioengineering Conference, held in Fajardo, Puerto Rico,June 20 through 23.

After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.) in 1993, Bischof joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota.  He is the inaugural Carl and Janet Kuhrmeyer chair in mechanical engineering; and a distinguished McKnight university professor in the departments of mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering and urology. 

Bischof has made numerous contributions to bioengineering in general and biotransport in particular.  His main focus in biological heat and mass transport, or biotransport, has supported applications in thermal therapies for the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular disease, and the biopreservation of biomaterials used in reproductive and regenerative medicine.  A more recent focus is on fundamentals of nanoparticle heat and mass transport for disease diagnosis and treatment.

He has supervised and mentored many graduate and postdoctoral students who are now in academia and the biomedical industry.  He is an author on numerous publications and holds several patents.

An ASME Fellow, Bischof has served the Society and the broader biotransport community in various roles.  Currently, he is chair of ASME’s Bioengineering Division; associate editor of the Journal of Biomechanical Engineering; on the advisory board for the Journal of Nanotechnology in Engineering and Medicine; a member of the ASME NanoEngineering Council; and has helped with either session, track or conference organization for various ASME affiliated meetings with bioengineering emphasis.

Bischof earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley in 1987; his master’s degree in biomedical engineering at the University of California, San Francisco and Berkeley in 1989; and his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley in 1992.

About ASME: ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world.