Richard Leapman, Ph.D., Named NIBIB Scientific
Director
The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
(NIBIB), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announces
the appointment of Dr. Richard Leapman as the Scientific Director
of its Intramural Research Program. As Scientific Director, Dr.
Leapman will be responsible for planning, evaluating, and directing
all aspects of NIBIB’s intramural research.
“Dr. Leapman is a highly respected scientist with tremendous support
across the NIH. His enthusiasm, energy, and perspective on the
most promising research opportunities and directions in the future
will be critically important as the NIBIB advances its Intramural
Program,” said NIBIB Director Roderic I. Pettigrew, Ph.D., M.D. “I
am delighted that he will be leading our Intramural Research Program.”
“The new intramural research program of NIBIB provides exciting
opportunities to develop innovative imaging and bioengineering
technologies related to both clinical and basic biomedical sciences,” said
Dr. Leapman. “As a beginning, I envision that components of our
program will serve as points of focus for the current trans-NIH
research initiative, Imaging from Molecules to Cells,
as well as for initiatives in nanotechnology and nanomedicine.
In this regard, I look forward to NIBIB’s collaboration with other
institutes at the NIH to apply these new technologies to a wide
range of biomedical research. I am proud and honored to be given
this opportunity to develop and lead this effort.”
Prior to his appointment at NIBIB, Dr. Leapman was the Acting
Director of the Division of Bioengineering and Physical Science
in the Office of Research Services at NIH. He served in a dual
capacity as the Chief of the Supramolecular Structure and Function
Resource. Dr. Leapman received his Ph.D. in physics from the University
of Cambridge, England.
Dr. Leapman’s research interests are in the development and application
of quantitative electron microscopy and the application of novel
nanoscale imaging methods to solve problems in structural and cellular
biology. He has been particularly active in developing the techniques
of electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and combining it with
x-ray spectroscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy
(STEM) to provide an unprecedented high spatial resolution for
nanoanalysis of biological structures. Dr. Leapman has devised
new methods for quantifying both elemental and chemical information
obtained from inelastic electron scattering, a research area in
which he has more than 100 peer-reviewed publications.
Dr. Leapman has been an active member of the scientific community.
He has been an officer or board member of many scientific review
and professional society committees, and is currently a member
of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Advanced Photon Source
at Argonne National Laboratory. He is the recipient of numerous
awards including the Burton Medal from the Microscopy Society of
America, the Samuel Wesley Stratton Award from the National Institute
of Standards and Technology, and two NIH Director’s Awards. Over
the years, Dr. Leapman also has served on various editorial boards
of scientific journals and is currently serving as the editor of
the Journal of Microscopy.
Dr. Leapman will assume his new position effective October 29,
2006.
The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
(NIBIB), a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, is dedicated to improving
human health through the integration of the physical and biological
sciences. The research agenda of the NIBIB seeks to dramatically
advance the Nation’s health by improving the detection, management,
understanding, and ultimately, the prevention of disease. Additional
information and publications are available at www.nibib.nih.gov.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's
Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and
Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting
and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research,
and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both
common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and
its programs, visit www.nih.gov. |