PhD candidate TJ Puls (left) receives the 2015-16 Geddes-Laufman-Greatbatch Award. Andrew Brightman (right), assistant head of biomedical engineering and associate professor of engineering practice, presented the award.

In 2013, Puls joined the laboratory of Sherry Voytik-Harbin, professor of biomedical engineering and basic medical sciences. He has been a model graduate student and citizen to the research team and the Weldon School community as evidenced by his academic excellence, leadership, commitment to discovery and teaching, and passion for translational research. His research is focused on the design and validation of three-dimensional tumor metastasis models, which can translate to drug screening and personalized medicine. 

Sangha is advised by Craig Goergen, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, and has worked in Goergen’s laboratory since 2014 on projects aimed at advancing photoacoustic tomography techniques to study, diagnose, and treat non-communicable diseases, such as atherosclerosis, breast cancer, cardiac arrhythmias, and fatty liver disease. The nomination of Sangha cited his outstanding research; record of successful proposals, publications, and presentations; mentorship of undergraduate students; and passion for teaching.

PhD candidate Gurneet Sangha receives the 2016-17 Geddes-Laufman-Greatbatch Award from Andrew Brightman, assistant head of biomedical engineering and associate professor of engineering practice.

The award was established by Dr. Leslie A. Geddes when he was awarded the 1987 Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) Foundation's Laufman-Greatbatch Prize. The Laufman-Greatbatch Prize was first awarded in 1975 and named for Harold Laufman, MD and Wilson Greatbatch, PhD, two of the most renowned leaders and pioneers in the medical device field. The prize honors an individual or group that has made a significant, singular, and global impact on the advancement of patient care or patient safety through the development, enhancement, or creation of a specific medical device, instrument, or service. This award is regarded as the pinnacle of all AAMI awards. Dr. Geddes received the honor in recognition of the importance and unparalleled diversity of his contributions in biomedical engineering. Geddes then used the prize to establish the Geddes-Laufman-Greatbatch Award at Purdue for outstanding research in biomedical engineering by a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow.