IUPESM Fellow: Gilda Barabino

Service

Gilda A. Barabino has pioneered new engineering approaches to problems in medicine. Her seminal research in sickle cell disease has informed current technologies and formed the basis for novel therapies. She is a passionate advocate for health equity and leads national efforts to engage engineers in the development of solutions to health disparities.

Dr. Barabino is the second president of Olin College of Engineering, before this she served as Dean of The Grove School of Engineering at The City College of New York and held appointments in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, and the City University of New York School of Medicine. There she established the Master’s in Translational Medicine, a program that addresses unmet clinical needs through the integration of engineering, medical innovation and entrepreneurship.

Dr. Barabino is an internationally recognized thought leader and highly sought-after speaker and consultant on race/ethnicity and gender in science and engineering, with particular focus on creating cultures and climates that support a sense of belonging. She has led a number of initiatives in these areas, including serving as the founder and Executive Director of the National Institute for Faculty Equity.

In recognition of her visionary leadership and outstanding professional achievement, Dr. Barabino has received many of the highest honors in academia. In 2021, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, She is also an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Medicine. She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the Biomedical Engineering Society. She is president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest interdisciplinary scientific society.