John Fisher Named Director of Notre Dame’s Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative

Fischell Department of Bioengineering Chair John Fisher has been named director of the University of Notre Dame’s Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative, leading the university’s biomedical research enterprise with the ambition to drive advancements in human health.

“We are all familiar with John’s passion for public health and improving people’s quality of life, and are fortunate to have a Maryland Engineer finding another powerful way to serve society,” Clark School Dean Samuel Graham said. “Under John’s leadership, our BIOE department has flourished. While this is a loss for our department, school, and university, I am excited to support John as he continues to showcase his outstanding leadership.”

The Clark School’s BIOE department is widely respected for its outstanding students, faculty, and staff; high-impact academic programs; and leading-edge research, a place where students want to study and peers look to for inspiration and emerging trends. Its research expenditures increased from $8 to $22 million during John’s tenure. In 2025, he helped establish the Edward & Jennifer St. John Center for Translational Engineering and Medicine, a joint research partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine that is transforming how health care is delivered. He helped secure a $10 million gift from the Edward St. John Foundation and a $12.5 million grant from the State of Maryland MPower Initiative to support the center.

“I extend my sincere gratitude to our school and department, and to Dean Graham. It has been a pleasure to work in such a collegial and supportive environment for more than two decades. Our shared commitment to academics, research, and community has successfully established the BIOE department as an esteemed institution in both bioengineering education and research,” Fisher said.

John is the director of the Center for Engineering Complex Tissues, focusing on 3D printing and bioprinting for regenerative medicine applications, and director of the Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Laboratory, investigating biomaterials, stem cells, bioprinting, and bioreactors to regenerate lost tissues, particularly orthopedic and soft tissues. His laboratory has published over 250 books, book chapters, articles, and more relied on by academic, private sector, and federal partners alike. He is a Distinguished University Professor, MPower Professor, Distinguished-Scholar Teacher, and a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Society, International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering, and International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering.

John will begin his tenure at the University of Notre Dame on August 1, 2026.

Published February 19, 2026