Clemson University's Karen Burg elected president of scientific society

Published: May 9, 2011

Karen Burg image by: Clemson University

CLEMSON — Clemson University bioengineering professor Karen Burg has been elected president of the Society For Biomaterials, a professional society for scientists and engineers who study cells, tissues and organs and their interactions with natural and synthetic materials, including implanted prosthetic devices.

Burg, who holds the Hunter Endowed Chair in Bioengineering, is director of the Institute for Biological Interfaces of Engineering and interim vice provost for research and innovation at Clemson.

With a focus on reconstruction of breast tissue following cancer surgery, Burg's research into tissue engineering, biofabrication and absorbable polymers has led to 11 issued or pending U.S. patents.

Her work is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense, among others.

Burg is a Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering and the American Council on Education. She received the Governor's Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Scientific Research in 2006.

After earning her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from North Carolina State University, Burg completed her master's and Ph.D. work in bioengineering at Clemson. She joined the faculty in 1999 following a post-doctoral fellowship at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

Established in 1974, the Society For Biomaterials is the oldest scientific organization in its field. In addition to holding scientific meetings and special interest groups for researchers, it publishes the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research.

Clemson University, where the society held its inaugural meeting in 1975, is one of 16 universities with student chapters of the organization.

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