About Us
- - Who We Are
    The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., representing the most accomplished individuals in the fields of medical and biological engineering.
Events
- - 2025 Annual Event
    March 29-31, 2025
  - Event Calendar
- - Earl Bakken Lecture Series
    The Earl Bakken Lecture is presented at AIMBE’s Annual Event in honor of Honorary Fellow and pioneer, Earl Bakken. Each year, a new type of innovation is highlighted.
- - AIMBE Public Policy Institute
    Learn from Washington Insiders about how public policy impacts Biomedical engineering!
College of Fellows
- College of Fellows
  The College of Fellows consists of almost 3,000 individuals who are the outstanding leaders, engineers, entrepreneurs, and innovators in medical and biological engineering
- Nominations & Election
  Fellows are nominated each year by their peers and represent the top 2% of the medical and biological engineering community
- Fellowbook News
  AIMBE Fellowbook collects news stories highlighting the members of the AIMBE College of Fellows
- Fellow Directory
  Browse and search the Fellows by Name, Title, Organization, and Class Year
Councils & Committees
- Academic Council
  AIMBE’s Academic Council includes 100 U.S. universities offering medical and biological engineering education at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
- Council of Societies
  AIMBE’s mechanism to coordinate and enhance interaction among 15 scientific organizations in medical and biological engineering
- Industry Council
  The companies and key corporate leaders of the bioengineering revolution are represented in AIMBE
- Diversity & Inclusion Committee
  Achieving greater diversity and inclusion within AIMBE, and providing leadership training and greater opportunities to minorities in MBE.
- Committee for the UnderRepresented and Marginalized
  To recognize the contributions of underrepresented and marginalized groups (URM) in MBE.
- International Committee
  The Top Medical and Biological Engineers from around the World
Public Policy
- Advocate
  Everything you need to get involved, research and contact your policy-makers, and followup through lab tours and visits
- Our Work
  Learn about AIMBE's ongoing public policy work and past accomplishments that have communicated the value of medical and biological engineering
Awards
- Pierre Galletti Award
  This Award was established in 1999 by the AIMBE to honor our Founding Member and Past President.
- AIMBE Professional Impact Awards
  In recognition of outstanding commitment to Mentoring, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Leadership, and/or Education
For Students
- Navigate the Circuit
  Our newest site designed to help students of all levels on their path to medical and biological engineering
- Milestones of Innovation
  The Milestones of Innovation highlight some of the greatest accomplishments in medical and biological engineering.
- Student Policy Resources
  Information for students interested in science policy on why and how to get engaged in advocacy efforts supporting medical and biological engineering.
- AIMBE Public Policy Institute
  Learn from Washington Insiders about how public policy impacts Biomedical engineering!
Nominations
- College of Fellows
  Fellows are nominated each year by their peers and represent the top 2% of the medical and biological engineering community
- Emerging Leaders
  Each year, AIMBE will select ~20 emerging leaders who will be recognized during AIMBE’s Annual Meeting.

About Us
- - Who We Are
    The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., representing the most accomplished individuals in the fields of medical and biological engineering.
Events
- - 2025 Annual Event
    March 29-31, 2025
  - Event Calendar
- - Earl Bakken Lecture Series
    The Earl Bakken Lecture is presented at AIMBE’s Annual Event in honor of Honorary Fellow and pioneer, Earl Bakken. Each year, a new type of innovation is highlighted.
- - AIMBE Public Policy Institute
    Learn from Washington Insiders about how public policy impacts Biomedical engineering!
College of Fellows
- College of Fellows
  The College of Fellows consists of almost 3,000 individuals who are the outstanding leaders, engineers, entrepreneurs, and innovators in medical and biological engineering
- Nominations & Election
  Fellows are nominated each year by their peers and represent the top 2% of the medical and biological engineering community
- Fellowbook News
  AIMBE Fellowbook collects news stories highlighting the members of the AIMBE College of Fellows
- Fellow Directory
  Browse and search the Fellows by Name, Title, Organization, and Class Year
Councils & Committees
- Academic Council
  AIMBE’s Academic Council includes 100 U.S. universities offering medical and biological engineering education at the graduate and undergraduate levels.
- Council of Societies
  AIMBE’s mechanism to coordinate and enhance interaction among 15 scientific organizations in medical and biological engineering
- Industry Council
  The companies and key corporate leaders of the bioengineering revolution are represented in AIMBE
- Diversity & Inclusion Committee
  Achieving greater diversity and inclusion within AIMBE, and providing leadership training and greater opportunities to minorities in MBE.
- Committee for the UnderRepresented and Marginalized
  To recognize the contributions of underrepresented and marginalized groups (URM) in MBE.
- International Committee
  The Top Medical and Biological Engineers from around the World
Public Policy
- Advocate
  Everything you need to get involved, research and contact your policy-makers, and followup through lab tours and visits
- Our Work
  Learn about AIMBE's ongoing public policy work and past accomplishments that have communicated the value of medical and biological engineering
Awards
- Pierre Galletti Award
  This Award was established in 1999 by the AIMBE to honor our Founding Member and Past President.
- AIMBE Professional Impact Awards
  In recognition of outstanding commitment to Mentoring, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Leadership, and/or Education
For Students
- Navigate the Circuit
  Our newest site designed to help students of all levels on their path to medical and biological engineering
- Milestones of Innovation
  The Milestones of Innovation highlight some of the greatest accomplishments in medical and biological engineering.
- Student Policy Resources
  Information for students interested in science policy on why and how to get engaged in advocacy efforts supporting medical and biological engineering.
- AIMBE Public Policy Institute
  Learn from Washington Insiders about how public policy impacts Biomedical engineering!
Nominations
- College of Fellows
  Fellows are nominated each year by their peers and represent the top 2% of the medical and biological engineering community
- Emerging Leaders
  Each year, AIMBE will select ~20 emerging leaders who will be recognized during AIMBE’s Annual Meeting.

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10

Paulette Spencer, D.D.S., Ph.D.

AIMBE College of Fellows Class of 2003

For development of non-destructive, non-invasive techniques for micro-chemical and micro-mechanical characterization of reactions occurring at the synthetic material/biologic tissue interface.

KU Researchers Work to Increase Durability of Newer Dental Fillings

Via University of Kansas News | August 23, 2011

A team of researchers at the University of Kansas is hoping to curb tooth decay – while saving dental patients thousands of dollars – by working to improve the material used by dentists to fill cavities.

Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Bioengineering Research Center Paulette Spencer and Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Jennifer Laurence received a $1.8 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to study enhancements to the polymer material used in fillings.

The two are leading a team of experts at KU’s Bioengineering Research Center to solve a problem that came about in the mid-1980s. Concerns about small amounts of mercury in the metal material that had been used to fill cavities for more than a hundred years led the dental industry to seek new options. Dentists switched to a plastic polymer filling that is safer, but less durable. The polymer lasts an average of 5.7 years compared with metal fillings that typically hold up for decades.

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