William R. Wagner is a Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering, Surgery and Chemical Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh and the Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief of one of the leading biomaterials journals, Acta Biomaterialia. He holds a B.S. (Johns Hopkins Univ.) and Ph.D. (Univ. of Texas) in chemical engineering. Dr. Wagner has been a leader in efforts to identify and chart commercialization pathways for biomanufacturing in low Earth orbit. He has an interest in leveraging microgravity effects on biological and materials systems to create new solutions to improve human health terrestrially. His laboratory has a primary focus on biomaterial and device development to address cardiovascular disease. Professor Wagner is past president of the Society for Biomaterials (US) and the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO) and past chairman of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) Americas region. He is a fellow and former vice president of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and a fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society, the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering, TERMIS, the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering (IAMBE), the American Heart Association and the National Academy of Inventors. His research has generated numerous patents (56 issued to date) resulting in licensing activity, company formation, and clinical trials. Transfer of his group’s intellectual property led to University Innovator Awards in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2017 and 2018 and the Marlin Mickle Outstanding Innovator Award (2023) for extraordinary commitment to innovation commercialization.
