I am honored to serve as the Executive Director of the Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB) at such an exhilarating time for our bio-community. As of Fall 2023, we have more than 287 interdisciplinary faculty researchers (engineers, scientists, and clinicians) and 1,300 trainees making unprecedented discoveries and generating innovative technologies that will transform health care, drive economic impact, and improve the global human condition. 

Also, with approximately 20,000 people attending more than 400 events annually hosted by IBB, I am reminded of three words that perfectly describe our geographic strength: location, location, location. This is obviously the place to be. With our state-of-the-art core facilities, outstanding collaborative culture, and generous seed funding to support projects in the critical early stages, our 13 multidisciplinary research centers, and a thriving entrepreneurial spirit, we are well equipped to “Transform Tomorrow” whether it is the next collaborative discovery, the next educational opportunity, or the next startup company. 

IBB’s vision is to be a global leader and exemplar in research, training, and developing tomorrow’s leaders in bioscience and bioengineering. To attain this goal, we must: 

• Invest in our student programs – Project ENGAGES and Petit Scholars and Mentors. We aim to remove financial barriers students and create more opportunities for research experience at the high school level and undergraduate levels to support a diverse cohort of trainees. 

• Develop the next generation of research leaders – Following completion of their Ph.D. degree, researchers receive further training and mentoring to succeed as independent investigators. Postdoctoral fellowships provide important support during this pivotal career stage to enhance the development of these young leaders. 

• Catalyze research at the intersection of bioscience and bioengineering – solving the world’s human health challenges. Specific diseases that are being impacted by the research conducted at IBB include heart disease, diabetes, cancer, infectious diseases, and neural injury. In addition, our unique state-of-the art-core facilities facilitate these transformative research activities. Thank you for reviewing our exciting and ambitious goals and considering what role you would like to play in leading the Petit Institute into an innovative, limitless future.

Andrés J. García, Ph.D., F.B.S.E.

Executive Director, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience
Petit Director’s Chair in Bioengineering and Bioscience
Regents’ Professor, George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology

The Petit Institute’s mission is to build a community within Georgia Tech and our partner institutions that catalyzes, cultivates, and deploys interdisciplinary research and education in bioengineering and biosciences for economic and societal benefit.

The Petit Institute serves as the headquarters for the following centers:

• Cancer Technology Innovation Center (CTIC)
• Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies (CMaT)
• Center for Drug Design Development and Delivery
• Center for Immunoengineering
• Center for Innovative Cardiovascular Technologies
• Center for Integrative Genomics
• Center for the Origin of Life
• Center for Pediatric Innovation
• Center for Pharmaceutical Development
• Georgia Center for Medical Robotics
• Marcus Center for Therapeutic Cell Characterization and Manufacturing (MC3M)
• Neural Engineering Center
• Regenerative Engineering and Medicine Center (REM)

Specific diseases that are being impacted by the research conducted in the Petit Institute include heart disease, diabetes, cancer, infectious diseases, and neural injury, to name a few.

In addition, the Petit Institute not only works with the member institutions of the Georgia Research Alliance (Emory University, Georgia State University, the Medical College of Georgia, Clark-Atlanta University, and the University of Georgia) but also interacts with other institutions, such as Morehouse School of Medicine.

Andrés J. García

Executive Director, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience

Regents' Professor

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Nicholas Hud

Associate Director, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience

Regents' Professor

Director, NSF Center for Chemical Evolution

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• Andrés J. García, Ph.D., Executive Director, Petit Institute, and Regents' Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering
• Nicholas V. Hud, Associate Director, Petit Institute, and Professor, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• King Jordan, Associate Professor, School of Biological Sciences
• Ravi Kane, Professor, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
• Harold Kim, Associate Professor, School of Physics
• Wilbur Lam, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
• Aaron D. Levine, Associate Professor, School of Public Policy
• Raquel Lieberman, Associate Professor, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Valeria Milam, Associate Professor, School of Materials Science and Engineering
• Francesca Storici, Associate Professor, School of Biological Sciences
• Todd Sulchek, Associate Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering