National Academy of Medicine Elects Bruce Tromberg

Nov. 8, 2022 - UCI biomedical engineering Professor Emeritus Bruce Tromberg has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest distinctions awarded to professionals in the medical sciences, health care and public health. He is one of 90 new U.S.-based members and 10 international members announced by the academy last month.

Tromberg, director of the NIH National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, is a founding faculty member of UCI’s Department of Biomedical Engineering. A renowned researcher in biophotonics, Tromberg served as director of the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic for more than 15 years. While there, he oversaw the development, application and dissemination of optical technologies in biology and medicine. His work includes pioneering research contributions to the technical fields of biophotonics and biomedical optics.

“I am honored and delighted to be named to the 2022 class of National Academy of Medicine members,” said Tromberg in an announcement published by the NIH NBIB. “I’ve been fortunate to work with so many generous and talented colleagues, both as a professor at the University of California, Irvine for nearly 30 years, and director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the National Institutes of Health since 2019. It is a constant source of inspiration and pride for me to be part of a community that develops cutting-edge technologies to improve the lives of patients.”

The academy cited Tromberg’s “leadership in biomedical engineering and the NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Technology Initiative (RADx Tech).” At the NIH NBIB, Tromberg helped guide the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic by engaging government, academia, and the research and development innovation/entrepreneurship community to increase SARS-COV-2 test capacity and performance in home, point-of-care and lab settings at unprecedented speed, scale and impact.

– Lori Brandt