Pierre M. Galletti: A Personal Reflection

Pierre Galletti, my friend and colleague, passed away on March 8, 1997, having left his mark on the emerging field of biomedical engineering. He was a pioneering researcher, making his impact in such fields as heart-lung bypass, artificial organs, and tissue engineering. He was a dedicated teacher and a mentor to many. He not only provided leadership in the establishment of the medical school at Brown University, but also helped start Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta. He was an entrepreneur and an individual who realized that ultimately basic science only impacts patient care when new technology is made available to the public. He served the bioengineering community in many ways, later in life becoming active in public policy, and as the second president of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, more than anyone focused this organization on its public policy role. He was the consummate biomedical engineer, a person of great vision, a man for all seasons.