Professor Chris Bowman Elected to National Academy of Medicine
Bowman, a faculty member in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering since 1992, is a University of Colorado Distinguished Professor and holds the James and Catherine Patten Endowed Chair. He is also a clinical professor of restorative dentistry in the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine.
Election to the National Academy of Medicine is one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. Bowman is among 70 new regular members and 10 international members announced Oct. 16.
"These newly elected members represent the most exceptional scholars and leaders in science, medicine and health in the U.S. and around the globe," said National Academy of Medicine President Victor J. Dzau. "Their expertise will help our organization address today's most pressing health challenges and inform the future of health and health care to benefit us all. I am honored to welcome these distinguished individuals to the National Academy of Medicine."
Bowman’s interdisciplinary research focuses on developing new materials for industrial and medical uses, particularly those formed from photopolymerization reactions, including “Click” Nucleic Acids that mimic DNA, novel dental materials and light-activated synthetic vesicles for artificial cells.
He is co-director of the Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Fundamentals and Applications of Photopolymerizations and founded the Materials Science and Engineering Program at CU Boulder.
Bowman joins at least 22 other University of Colorado inductees in the prestigious organization, including Professor Kristi Anseth of Chemical and Biological Engineering.
The award caps a busy year for Bowman, who was inducted this spring into the National Academy of Inventors and recently won the Herman F. Mark Scholar Award from the American Chemical Society’s Polymer Chemistry Division.
The National Academy of Medicine is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields including health and medicine, the natural, social, and behavioral sciences, and beyond. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering to provide independent, objective analysis to the nation and inform public policy decisions.
The newly elected members bring NAM’s total membership to 2,127 and the number of international members to 172.