4/15/2026 Written by Ben Libman, and edited by ECE
Written by Written by Ben Libman, and edited by ECE
The Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, congratulates three faculty members elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows. Professors Viktor Gruev, Michael L. Oelze, and Cunjiang Yu earned this prestigious recognition and were formally inducted during AIMBE’s annual meeting in Virginia last week.
Election to the AIMBE College of Fellows is one of the highest professional distinctions in medical and biological engineering, representing the top 2% of experts in the field. Fellows are nominated by their peers and recognized for outstanding contributions to research, innovation, education, and the advancement of medical and biological engineering.
Dean of The Grainger College of Engineering Rashid Bashir congratulated the recipients, saying, “These elections are proof of what we’ve known for years— that our faculty are leaders, not only in their own field, but in interdisciplinary collaboration as well.”
In addition to the three ECE faculty members elected, two other Grainger College of Engineering professors were honored. Professors Yang Liu (Department of Bioengineering) and Mark Cohen (Dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, affiliate of the Department of Bioengineering) were elected to the College of Fellows.
Viktor Gruev
Gruev’s lab specializes in the development of imaging sensors inspired by real-life biological processes. He explains, “a foundational contribution in this area was my group’s development of the first visible spectrum, single-chip color-polarization imaging sensor. This made it possible to capture co-registered color and polarization information in the same exposure on a Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) device.” Being elected is “a deeply meaningful honor,” Gruev said. “It represents recognition from peers across medical and biological engineering for work that has moved from fundamental ideas to real-world impact. For both the Department of Bioengineering and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, I hope this recognition helps amplify Illinois’ leadership.” Gruev is eager to utilize the AIMBE community to strengthen Illinois’ bioengineering research ecosystem and to better reach patients.
Michael Oelze
Oelze’s focus is developing novel ultrasonic imaging technologies. Oelze was recently awarded a $2.6 million grant to pursue next-gen ultrasound, including ultrafast 3D volumetric ultrasound imaging, which captures both depth and motion in real time for richer diagnostic information. His lab is also building ultrasound that can detect the quantity and direction of blood flow—a longstanding problem in the field. Oelze said the elections reflect the impact of research at Illinois: “AIMBE fellows are demonstrable evidence that people are having impact in their research and contributions to the field of biomedical engineering.”
Cunjiang Yu
Yu’s work focuses on bio-integrated technological devices. Yu explained that building electronics directly into tissue “enables seamless integration between electronic devices and biological tissues, allowing precise sensing, diagnosis and therapeutic intervention.” In the past, Yu has developed self-adhesive rubbery bio-optoelectronic stimulators that attach to the heart to help with cardiovascular diseases and rubbery CMOS circuits that allowed for crucial advancements in wearables. Yu called his election a tremendous honor, noting,“it reflects the collective efforts of my students, postdocs and collaborators who have helped advance our shared vision of advancing and integrating soft and bioelectronics with biological systems. This recognition strengthens the visibility of our work at the national and international levels and facilitates new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.”
Illinois Grainger Engineering Affiliations
Viktor Gruev is an Illinois Grainger Engineering professor of electrical and computer engineering in the Department of Electical and Computer Engineering. He is affiliated with the Department of Bioengineering, Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. He is also the Program Leader for the Cancer Center at Illinois.
Michael L Oelze is an Illinois Grainger Engineering professor of electrical and computer engineering in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and is affiliated with the Carle Illinois College of Medicine and the Department of Bioengineering. He is the Frederick G. and Elizabeth H. Nearing Scholar at The Grainger College of Engineering, and he leads the Ultrasound Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Cunjiang Yu is a Founder Professor in Engineering with a primary appointment in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He also has appointments in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, and the Department of Bioengineering, as well as the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, the Materials Research Laboratory, and the Nick Holonyak Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory.