College of Medicine – Tucson's Slepian is elected fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science

Marvin Slepian, MD, a Regents Professor of medicine and biomedical engineering, was elected as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The honor, awarded annually by vote of the AAAS membership, recognizes researchers for sustained contributions to their fields.

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The 2025 class of nearly 500 fellows was announced in March and also includes two other U of A scientists — Valerie Trouet, a professor in the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, and Vicente Talanquer, a University Distinguished Professor of chemistry and biochemistry. The annual Fellows forum in Washington, D.C., on May 29, will celebrate the new fellows.

Slepian, a faculty member at the U of A College of Medicine – Tucson and the James E. Rogers College of Law, is being recognized by the AAAS for "his distinguished contributions to biological, biomechanical and device aspects of the field of cardiovascular bioengineering, to medical technology and to intellectual property leadership."

Slepian's laboratory developed the first biodegradable coronary stent and pioneered the technique of "arterial paving" – coating the blood vessel interior with a flexible polymer that props it open, shields the arterial wall and delivers medication directly to the affected vessel wall. This prevents tissue regrowth after arterial widening as well as long-term fatty plaque accumulation. Slepian also developed a wide range of cardiovascular devices such as heart valves and co-developed the first FDA-approved total artificial heart, commercialized through SynCardia Systems, a company he founded.

Slepian is also a member of the BIO5 Institute. His current work includes studying the impact of physical forces such as shear and pressure on platelet activation and blood clot formation, and translational research efforts to improve blood-contacting devices. He has also pioneered wearable smart sensors that track not just steps but the full range of how a person moves – data that, combined with artificial intelligence, can support remote patient monitoring and precision health applications.

Slepian is the founder and director of the Arizona Center for Accelerated Biomedical Innovation, a universitywide center connecting faculty science with real-world clinical needs to drive translation and entrepreneurship. ACABI focuses on advancing research and applications of artificial intelligence safely and effectively in education research and patient care.

At ACABI, "we go around, find unmet needs, find science and become a creativity engine to innovate," Slepian said.

Slepian, who is also recognized for his contributions to intellectual property leadership, said earning a law degree was a natural extension of his scientific work. As a holder of more than 100 patents, he was appointed to the Patent Public Advisory Committee of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2023.

"You need science, medicine and engineering to innovate," Slepian said, "but you also need law to operate."