Kersh, Jasiuk named Carle Illinois Health Innovation Professors

MechSE professors Mariana Kersh and Iwona Jasiuk are among eight faculty from The Grainger College of Engineering who recently joined Carle Illinois College of Medicine with Health Innovation Professor appointments. The new faculty deliver on Carle Illinois’ strategy to leverage the University of Illinois’ exceptional faculty to serve as agents of change in medical education, innovation, and research at the world’s first engineering-based college of medicine.

“As champions of interdisciplinary health research, the new professors will advance the discovery and translation of breakthrough health innovations that have the potential to improve patient care and outcomes,” said King Li, Dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. “They will help to pioneer new approaches to medical education and integrate health innovation concepts into graduate and undergraduate courses across the UIUC campus.”

The new Health Innovation faculty represent a range of engineering disciplines and are positioned to be drivers of innovation in medicine and healthcare, which will fuel health-related funding from government agencies, industry, foundations, and individuals, and inspire a range of new cause-based philanthropic giving campaigns.

Kersh is an assistant professor and director of the Tissue Biomechanics Laboratory. Her research focuses on the use of experimental methods to evaluate macro-level mechanical and structural properties of bone, cartilage, and connective tissues, such as ligaments, in order to include them into finite element simulations of these tissues under physiological loads.

Jasiuk develops research-based models to explain the structure and behavior of human-made and biological materials. Her research addresses materials in medicine and engineering, focusing on the modeling and characterization of biological and natural materials (e.g., bone, hoof) and the design, manufacture, and analysis of architectured and composite materials. Her current projects include predictions of bone fracture and designs of bioinspired impact-resistant materials. 

“Carle Illinois Health Innovation Professors recognize the value of translating new ideas to innovations and to impact, and several are founders of new biotech, medical device, and digital health companies.  They will help Carle Illinois to fill the Research Park and the envisioned Health Innovation Translator facility, fulfill the vision of the Discovery Partners Institute, and promote economic prosperity throughout Illinois,” said Stephen Boppart, Carle Illinois’ Executive Associate Dean and Chief Diversity Officer.

Read about the other six Carle Illinois Health Innovation Professors from Grainger Engineering. >>