Richard L. Lieber, Ph.D., MBA

In 2014, a previously healthy 25-year-old man experienced a diving accident that resulted in a C4 spinal cord injury with tetraplegia. He was unable to control movements in both his upper and lower body.

Some individuals with tetraplegia can benefit from reconstructive hand surgery to improve their ability to control wrist and finger movements. To determine which patients are good candidates for the surgery, surgeons use a metric called the International Classification of Hand Surgery in Tetraplegic Patients (ICSHT). This individual was classified as an “ICSHT 0,” meaning that, based on existing evidence and medical protocols, reconstructive hand surgery was not recommended for him.  This is because it was thought that he had no muscles available to serve as a “donor” for function… Continue reading.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has announced the induction of Richard L. Lieber, Ph.D., MBA, Chief Scientific Officer, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Physiology and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, to its College of Fellows.

Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to a medical and biological engineer. The College of Fellows is comprised of the top two percent of medical and biological engineers. College membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to “engineering and medicine research, practice, or education” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of medical and biological engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to bioengineering education.”

Dr. Lieber was nominated, reviewed, and elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for “discovery and translation of musculoskeletal knowledge with emphasis on tissue biophysics to clinical practice of orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation.”