Contact: Erin Boozer
A Mississippi State engineering faculty member is being recognized as one of the nation's leading cardiovascular researchers.
Jun Liao recently was elected as a Fellow of the American Heart Association. He is an associate professor of biomedical engineering in the university's James Worth Bagley College of Engineering.
The rank of Fellow is the highest membership honor bestowed by many professional organizations.
Liao's selection by the organization's basic cardiovascular sciences division was based on his service, leadership, scientific achievements and professional accomplishments.
"Obtaining the rank of Fellow in a professional society is a tremendous achievement," said Jason Keith, the college's interim dean, adding that Liao's "efforts have brought both him and Mississippi State University a large visibility for excellence in heart research."
Liao is a doctoral graduate of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Cleveland (Ohio) State University.
His research has focused on cardiac and heart valve biomechanics, regeneration and simulations. He plans to apply the results of his investigations to the development of medical devices and procedures that would maintain optimal cardiovascular tissue health.
A member of the American Heart Association since 2005, Liao has published 45 peer-reviewed journal articles and five book chapters. In addition to the heart association, his work has been supported by the National Institute of Health, U.S. departments of Defense and Energy, and NASA.
Liao joined the agricultural and biological engineering department in 2007 following post-doctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh. He also holds a bachelor's degree in physics from Sichuan University in China.
Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association's mission is to fight cardiovascular disease and stroke, two of the most common causes of death in America. The organization aims to improve quality of life through education and research. For more, visit www.heart.org.
Information about the Bagley College of Engineering and its departments is found at www.bagley.msstate.edu.
Complete details about MSU are at www.msstate.edu.