The Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award is given in honor of the former BMES executive director and was established in 2000 to stimulate research careers in biomedical engineering.

“I am honored to be recognized by the Biomedical Engineering Society and to receive this award,” said Goergen. “While I did not know Rita Schaffer, I have spoken to many who described her as caring, generous, and devoted to the field of biomedical engineering. I share her deep commitment to the Society and am thrilled to honor her memory.”

Goergen is the Principal Investigator of the Cardiovascular Imaging Research Laboratory at Purdue University. His work combines advanced engineering, imaging, and biological approaches to study a variety of diseases, with a particular focus on novel tool development to understand cardiac and vascular pathologies. His group is working to study abdominal aortic aneurysms, develop novel treatment strategies, and characterize vessel composition with in vivo imaging approaches. 

Goergen joined the faculty at the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering in 2012. “He brought to Purdue a wealth of expertise and highly recognized contributions in the area of advanced medical imaging, a key component of the Weldon School’s vision and strategic plan,” said George R. Wodicka, Dane A. Miller Professor and Head of the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. “With his training in bioengineering, imaging research background, and experience in industry, Dr. Goergen was and remains uniquely positioned to significantly impact this important field.”

In the spirit of the award’s namesake, Goergen has made significant service contributions to the Biomedical Engineering Society, where he has been a member for nearly 15 years. He has served as track chair, session chair, and abstract reviewer at the annual BMES meetings, while also serving on the Early Career Focus Group, volunteering as a speaker or moderator in multiple BMES webinars, and acting as a Faculty Advisor to the student BMES Chapter at Purdue University. He was previously a member of the BMES Education Committee and is currently serving on both the BMES Awards and Membership Committees.

Goergen received a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis and master’s and doctoral degrees in bioengineering from Stanford University where he used small animal imaging techniques to study aortic disease. His postdoctoral training in molecular optical imaging at Harvard Medical School focused on cardiac disease and left ventricular remodeling.

Goergen will present the Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Lecture at the Biomedical Engineering Society Annual Meeting in Phoenix, AZ on October 14.

Photo caption:  Craig Goergen, assistant professor in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, has been named the recipient of the 2017 Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award. Photo credit: Vince Walter

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