The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has named Rafael Davalos, professor of biomedical engineering in Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering, an ASME Fellow.

Fellowship is the highest elected grade of the society’s membership and can be conferred on people with at least 10 years of active engineering practice who have made significant contributions to the profession.

Davalos, also primary investigator in the Bioelectromechanical Systems Lab, has published 84 peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and review articles. His scientific papers have been cited more than 4,200 times, attaining an H-index of 32, according to Google scholar. He has received multiple grants and holds 14 patents that have been licensed to companies.

Davalos’ widely recognized work in dielectrophoresis has led to innovations in cellular isolation and enrichment, making it possible to more specifically identify different types of cells in a diverse environment. Research led by Davalos has led to revolutionary developments in cancer treatment, early cancer detection, and regenerative medicine.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Cornell University and a master’s in mechanical engineering and doctorate in bioengineering from the University of California-Berkeley.

Written by Alex Parrish.

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