Joel D. Bumgardner

Dr. Joel D. Bumgardner is a Professor and Chair of Excellence in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Memphis's Herff College of Engineering. His research focuses on biomaterials for dental/craniofacial and orthopedic applications, including chitosan-based composites, antibacterial coatings, and tissue regeneration. He has over 110 journal articles, 17 book chapters, and numerous patents, with a strong emphasis on translational research and student mentorship.

Education: B.S. Biology (Florida State University, 1984), B.S. Materials Engineering (UAB, 1988), M.S. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering (UAB, 1989 and 1994). He completed a Fulbright Fellowship at Umeå University, Sweden (1993-1994).

Research Interests: Development of bio-based materials for implants, corrosion/degradation studies, surface modification, and drug delivery systems. Current work emphasizes chitosan-based materials for bone grafting, guided regeneration, and infection prevention.

Key Accomplishments:

• Over 60 mentored students, including recipients of NSF/Whitaker Fellowships and Fulbright Awards
• Co-editor of Chitosan-Based Biomaterials (2-volume series)
• Leadership roles in the Society for Biomaterials and American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering

Recent Honors:

• 2017 Research Award (Herff College)
• 2017 Outstanding Service & Leadership (Society for Biomaterials)
• Elected Fellow of Biomaterials Science (2016)

Grants & Collaboration: Active NIH/NSF/DoD reviewer, Associate Editor for Journal of Biomedical Materials Research: Part B, and frequent invited lecturer globally.

Labs/Teams: The JDB Lab (www.thejdblab.com) focuses on interdisciplinary biomaterials research with clinical translation.