Roderic Ivan Pettigrew

Roderic Ivan Pettigrew, Ph.D., MD, serves as CEO of Engineering Health (EnHealth) and is the Robert Welch Professor and executive dean for Engineering Medicine (EnMed) at Texas A&M and Houston Methodist Hospital. He was the founding Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) of the NIH [2002-2017] and is credited with building it into the signature NIH institute for emerging medical technologies. Of note, under Dr. Pettigrew’s leadership, NIBIB produced more patents per appropriated dollar than any other institute or federal agency returning $30 per each $1 invested in research or 3000% (5 x the already remarkable NIH Average of 600%). On the 10th anniversary of NIBIB, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed a resolution commending the institute for its leadership and impact in improving the nation’s health through technological innovation.

His newest undertaking is EnHealth, the world’s first initiative to holistically integrate engineering into all of the colleges of a university that is a part of the health care enterprise. EnMed is the first constituent initiative, creating a new school that integrates engineering into medical training to develop a new kind of engineering-minded physician, or Physcianeer, who invents solutions to healthcare problems. Of note, an invention is required of each EnMed graduate who will earn both MD and MEng degrees in 4years.