[Andrew Brightman, BS, PhD]
Brightman’s background with Indiana CTSI started six years ago, when he joined the Bioethics and Subject Advocacy Program (BSAP) as the representative for the Purdue West Lafayette campus. Now, he also serves on the Diagnostic & Therapeutic Development Project Development Team (PDT) at Purdue and the Biomedical Engineering and Nanotechnology (BEAN) program. Brightman also is co-director of the new Scholarly Concentration in Biomedical Engineering and Applied Medical Technologies for the West Lafayette branch of IU School of Medicine.
“My training background and my role in the [Purdue University] Weldon School as assistant head for academic affairs has really prepared me to take on this additional leadership role,” said Brightman. “Having been part of the formation of the School of Biomedical Engineering, helping develop the graduate and undergraduate training programs here, and supporting our students and faculty developing technology that is translated and commercialized into effective clinical practice has motivated me to ensure we have the best training programs we can have.”
Brightman has developed numerous undergraduate and graduate courses at Purdue, as well as created a curriculum for a professional MS degree with a concentration in regulatory affairs for medical devices. His research includes a background in analysis of signaling biomolecules and tissue engineering.
“I came into the field in the tissue engineering component with some small exposure to the pharmaceutical industry and regulated environments,” said Brightman. “I realized that most engineers and many basic scientists don’t have any of that training or exposure until quite late in their careers, when they’re trying to do a startup or trying to get a technology or a therapy into commercialization or into a clinical practice. They’re figuring it out pretty late. I’m excited to help give students the opportunity I didn’t have to learn this early in their career.”
One of Brightman’s goals is to help build a sense of community across the three campuses connected by Indiana CTSI. He also wants to help young researchers get engaged to learn and develop their professional, research and translational skills, while also looking to the future of the program.
“We’re always looking for feedback on what we’re doing well and what things we could add,” said Brightman. “While we’re building on a good foundation, we always think there’s room for enhancing that foundation.”
