2003 Woman of the Year Tejal Desai Named AAAS Fellow for Contributions to Biomedical Engineering
Brown University engineering dean recognized by one of the world’s largest scientific societies for advances in biomaterials and drug delivery technologies
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Tejal Desai, dean of the Brown University School of Engineering, has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), one of the world’s largest multidisciplinary scientific organizations.
Desai is among nearly 500 scientists, engineers, and innovators selected this year by their peers in recognition of distinguished contributions to their fields. AAAS cited her “seminal contributions to the development of innovative biomaterials and drug delivery technologies using advanced micro and nanosystems, and for inspired leadership in the field of bioengineering.”
“Being named a fellow of the AAAS is incredibly meaningful, as I have long admired the organization’s dedication to advancing science and serving society,” Desai said in a statement. “This recognition reflects the collective efforts of my lab members and collaborators to develop therapeutic delivery systems that make a tangible difference in patients’ lives.”
Desai, who earned her undergraduate degree from Brown in 1994, returned to the university in 2022 as its second dean of engineering. She has since led efforts to expand the school’s research enterprise, focusing on interdisciplinary work aimed at addressing real-world challenges.
Her research centers on the use of micro- and nanoscale technologies to improve how therapeutics are delivered within the body. Working with students and collaborators, she has developed biomaterials designed to support tissue regeneration, enhance drug delivery, and modulate immune responses. Desai has authored more than 290 research papers, with over 27,000 citations, and holds more than 30 U.S. patents issued or pending.
Over the course of her career, Desai has received numerous honors, including recognition by MIT Technology Review as one of its Top 100 Young Innovators and by Popular Science as part of its “Brilliant 10.” In 2003, she was also named Woman of the Year by INDIA New England News. She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Inventors, and previously served as president of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.
Election as an AAAS fellow, a tradition dating back to 1874, is considered a lifetime honor. Desai joins a group of 28 current Brown faculty members who have received the distinction.
