• Dr. Beena Ahmed appointed vice president of Conferences
• Dr. Natalie Mrachacz-Kersting appointed vice president of Member and Student Activities
• Two-year terms for all three will commence in 2025

IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity, and the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS), today announced the results of its executive committee elections, in which Dr. Erika Ross Ellison was appointed president-elect of the society for the 2025 term.

In addition, Drs. Beena Ahmed and Natalie Mrachacz-Kersting were elected vice president of Conferences and vice president of Member and Student Activities, respectively. Their two-year terms will also commence in 2025, at which time, Paul Sajda, Ph.D., current president of IEEE EMBS, will serve as past president, and Metin Akay, current past president, will serve as an ambassador.

“I want to offer my warmest congratulations to all three of our new leader-elects,” said Dr. Sajda. “Their remarkable achievements throughout the course of their careers promise to usher in an era of growth and innovation at IEEE EMBS.”

Dr. Erika Ross Ellison

Dr. Ross Ellison currently serves as the vice president of Global Clinical, Regulatory, and Quality at ONWARD Medical, a medical technology company that generates movement-restoring therapies for individuals with spinal cord injuries. Previously, she served as director of Clinical and Applied Research at Abbott Neuromodulation, where she led the global research team, oversaw strategy, and conducted research studies for the company’s spinal cord and deep brain stimulation systems.

Dr. Ross Ellison’s other professional experiences include: neuroscience director at Cala Health; deputy director, Medical Device Innovation Accelerator at Mayo Clinic; and assistant professor of Neurologic Surgery, also at Mayo Clinic.

“My top objective will be to establish IEEE EMBS as the largest global forum for biomedical engineers, clinicians and scientists,” said Dr. Ross Ellison. “As president, I will prioritize three key aspects: nurturing collaboration between academia and industry; promoting the development and mentorship of students; and championing diversity and inclusion. I know that, together, we can raise awareness of IEEE EMBS’s commitment to advancing the research and development work of biomedical engineers.”

Dr. Ross Ellison earned her B.S. in biology and business, and an M.S. in molecular biology from the University of Denver. She earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, in which her research focused on the development of novel deep brain stimulation methods for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. Beena Ahmed

Since 2017, Dr. Ahmed has been an associate professor in Signal Processing with the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia (UNSW). Previously, she was an assistant professor at Texas A&M University in Qatar. She is the technical representative on the IEEE EMBS administrative committee, and served as program co-chair of EMBC 2023.

Dr. Ahmed earned her Ph.D. in signal processing from UNSW, and received her B.Sc in electrical engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan. Her current research interests are on applying machine learning and remote monitoring in healthcare and therapeutic applications.

She has received many prestigious awards, including the 2020 Innovation Award from Speech Pathology Australia; the 2021 Women in AI; the 2022 Telstra Digital Health Award; and the 2023 American Speech and Hearing Association’s Gamechanger Award. She is the co-founder and chief technology officer of Say66, which works to create new speech therapies.

Dr. Natalie Mrachacz-Kersting

Dr. Mrachacz-Kersting is currently a neuroscience professor at the Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg. She has held previous faculty positions at Aalborg University, Denmark; FH Dortmund, Germany; and the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She is an IEEE EMBS practitioner representative, and is active on the IEEE Brain steering committee.

Dr. Mrachacz-Kersting received her Ph.D. in biomedical science and engineering from the University of Aalborg. Her current research focuses on the development of neurorehabilitation technology for the restoration of lost motor function.

She has authored more than 80 articles in peer-reviewed journals, approximately 150 conference articles/abstracts, and ten book chapters. Moreover, she has earned the International Award in Brain Computer Interfaces, in addition to numerous prestigious grants.

About the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society

The IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) is the world's largest international society of biomedical engineers. With more than 9,500 members residing in some 97 countries around the world, IEEE EMBS is a true global connection, fostering fellowship and providing access to the most fascinating people, best practices, new information, innovative ideas and a variety of expert opinions from one of science's fastest growing fields: biomedical engineering. From formalized mathematical theory through experimental science, and from technological development to practical clinical applications, IEEE EMBS members support scientific, technological and educational activities as they apply to the concepts and methods of the physical and engineering sciences in biology and medicine. By working together, we can transform and revolutionize the future of medicine and healthcare. For more information about the IEEE EMBS, please visit www.embs.org.

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