Page 85 - T-I JOURNAL19-3

Technology and Innovation, Vol. 19, pp. 645-651, 2018 ISSN 1949-8241 • E-ISSN 1949-825X
Printed in the USA. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.21300/19.3.2018.645
Copyright © 2018 National Academy of Inventors. www.technologyandinnovation.org

THE NAI FELLOW PROFILE: AN INTERVIEW WITH
DR. FRANCES LIGLER

Frances S. Ligler and Kimberly A. Macuare 2
1
1 Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
Raleigh and Chapel Hill, NC, USA
2 National Academy of Inventors, Tampa, FL, USA

Celebrated researcher, inventor, and educator Dr. Frances Ligler recently granted an interview
to T&I, in which she discusses her exciting new work in microfluidics and tissue-on-chip, the
innovative research and educational collaborations between the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University, and the value in leading from behind.

INTRODUCTION
Technology and Innovation (T&I) is honored to
present Dr. Frances Ligler—pioneer in biosensors
and microfluidics—as the subject of this issue’s NAI
Fellow Profile. After 28 years at the United States
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Ligler now serves
as the Lampe Distinguished Professor of Biomedical
Engineering at North Carolina State University (NC
State) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill).
Ligler received her B.S. in biology and chemistry
from Furman University and her D.Phil. in biochem-
istry and D.Sc. in biosensor technology from Oxford
University. Her prolific career has spanned a variety
of research areas, including biosensors, microfluid-
ics, tissue-on-chip, biochemistry, immunology, and
proteomics. She is the author of over 400 full-length
publications, inventor on 31 issued U.S. patents,
and creator of 11 commercial biosensor products.
Among her many accolades, Ligler is a member of
the National Academy of Engineering; a fellow of (photo courtesy of Frances Ligler)

_____________________
Accepted: October 15, 2017.
Profiled Inventor: Frances Ligler, D.Phil., D.Sc., NC State University, 4307 Engineering Building III, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. Tel: +1 (919) 515-1049.
Corresponding Author: Kimberly A. Macuare, Ph.D., Associate Editor, Technology and Innovation, Journal of the National Academy of Inventors at the
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USF Research Park, 3702 Spectrum Boulevard, Suite 165, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. Tel: +1 (813) 974-1347. E-mail: kmacuare@academyofinventors.org

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