Richard Waugh, Ph.D.

Richard Waugh, chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been appointed to the newly-created position of associate vice president for research.

“Rick has been collaborating with researchers on both the River Campus and the School of Medicine and Dentistry for more than three decades,” said Robert Clark, senior vice president for research. “His great institutional knowledge and familiarity with a cross-section of departments make him a bridge among all research faculty. He was a natural choice for the job.”

One of Waugh’s initial responsibilities will be to help develop a strategic plan that identifies specific research goals, as well as opportunities for bringing together faculty members from different departments. He will also be involved in building a stronger research community on campus and fostering relations with the corporate sector.

“I have a good understanding of why research is done so well at the University of Rochester,” said Waugh. “I look forward to using that knowledge to help faculty work together in some new ways.”

Richard E. Waugh, professor and chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and James M. Farrar, professor of chemistry, have been elected Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The AAAS is the world’s largest general scientific society and the publisher of the journal Science.

Waugh and Farrar are among 539 new members being honored for their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.

The AAAS recognized Waugh for his “distinguished contributions to the study of cell and membrane mechanics and for leadership in biomedical engineering.”

As any weekend warrior knows, an errant elbow or a missed ball can put a crimp in an afternoon of fun. The bruising and swelling are painfully obvious, but the processes occurring under the skin remain full of mystery.

What is known is that leukocytes, or white blood cells, mobilize to protect injured body tissue from infection. What is not understood is why some leukocytes —but not others—are attracted to damaged tissue.

The response begins when leukocytes travel through blood vessels near the site of the injury and stop. Eight out of ten white blood cells will eventually continue traveling through the blood vessel, while the other two cells will actually enter the tissue to begin fighting against infection. Thanks to a $9.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, a research team led by Richard Waugh, chairman of the Biomedical Engineering Department at the University of Rochester, is trying to find the reasons.