Professor Craig Simmons (MIE, BME) has been inducted as a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), among 19 other internationally recognized scientists and engineers. As a BMES Fellow, Simmons is recognized internationally for his innovative and wide-ranging contributions to both fundamental science and practical applications in the field of mechanobiology.
Over the course of his professional career, Simmons has published more than 135 peer-reviewed research articles in high-impact journals that have received close to 12,000 citations. He had also authored the textbook Introductory Biomechanics: From cells to organisms, and contributed to various book chapters related to mechanobiology, cardiovascular health and cellular transport. Simmons has contributed greatly to scientific translation, with 4 patents and 8 invention disclosures under his name.
During his tenure at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (BME) and the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering (MIE), Simmons has mentored 34 PhD candidates, 23 MASc candidates and hundreds of undergraduate thesis students and high school trainees. Many of his mentees have flourished in academia, start-ups, and various industry ventures.
After serving as the interim director at BME in 2017, Simmons now serves as the Scientific Director of the Translational Biology and Engineering Program (TBEP), which places a heavy emphasis on developing strategies that regenerate heart muscles through the interface of engineering and medicine.
The impact of his research has been recognized with multiple awards, including the Canada Research Chair in Mechanobiology; the Ontario Early Researcher Award; the McCharles Prize; the McLean Award, Fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering; and the Heart and Stroke Foundation CP Has Heart Award.
“It is wonderful to see Dr. Simmons continue to receive accolades for his research and teaching,” says Professor Warren Chan, Director of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering.
“Congratulations to Craig Simmons. This award recognizes the impact of the work he’s done and will continue to do, and his place among the very best in his field,” says Professor Markus Bussmann, Chair of the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering.
