Marvin J Slepian

Biography

 

Marvin J. Slepian, MD,JD is Regents’ Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering (Associate Department Head), with Professorships in Medical Imaging, Materials Sciences and Engineering, Chemical and Environmental Engineering and Chemistry.  He is also aMcGuire Scholar in the Eller College of Management, at University of Arizona, and recently named as Affilated faculty at the James E. Rogers College of Law. Dr. Slepian is Founder and Director of the Arizona Center for Accelerated Biomedical Innovation (ACABI) – a “creativity engine,” focused on novel solution development for unmet medical needs. Dr. Slepian attended Princeton (AB Biochemical Sciences and Science in Human Affairs ’77) and received his MD from University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (’81 AOA).  He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at New York University–Bellevue Hospital, where he served as Chief Resident in Medicine; clinical and research fellowships in Cardiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and clinical and research fellowships in Interventional Cardiology and a research fellowship in Artificial Organs at the Cleveland Clinic.  In addition, Dr Slepian received post-doctoral training in Chemical Engineering and Polymer Chemistry at MIT, and Business and Management training at Harvard Business School.  Dr. Slepian recieved his JD from the James E. Rogers College of Law of the University of Arizona in 2024.

 

In parallel with his clinical career Dr. Slepian has had an extensive research career leading to the development of innovative diagnostics and therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases.  His work has focused on the development and use of novel biomaterials for tissue engineering, drug delivery and medical device development. His lab has developed many novel diagnostics and therapeutics which have found their way into clinical use today including: drug-eluting stent technologies, stent coatings, “polymer paving,” surgical anti-adhesive barriers, stretchable and biodegradable electronics, “wearables,” synthetic tissue sealants, myocardial revascularization and cell delivery methods and cardiovascular prosthetic devices - including the total artificial heart.  Dr. Slepian’s lab has also, for years, been heavily involved in basic science concentrating on three main areas: 1. the role of cell-matrix interactions in vascular disease, 2. basic aspects of cell-material interactions and 3. the impact of physical forces (notably shear and sound) on platelet activation.   

 

Dr Slepian is author of more than 250 articles and textbook chapters published in journals such as Science, Nature Materials, PNAS, PlosOne, Circulation, the New England Journal of Medicine, and Cardiovascular Pathology, and serves on several editorial review boards. He is a prolific inventor with more than 100 issued and filed patents and has been the founder of numerous medical device companies including FOCAL (NASDAQ), Endotex, Angiotrax, Hansen Medical (NASDAQ), Arsenal, 480 BioMedical, MC10 and SynCardia, and has been involved with bringing many new devices through the FDA regulatory process into clinical use, including most notably the total artificial heart. He has received multiple awards for his academic and translational research including: the American Heart Association Award for the Most Significant Advance in Cardiovascular Medicine, the AZBio Pioneer Award (2017) for Lifetime Achievement in Biomedical Science Innovation, and in 2019 was named daVinci Fellow – the highest recognition of the University of Arizona College of Engineering; and received the Daniel Drake Medal – the highest distinction of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine for outstanding innovative medical research.  In 2020 Dr. Slepian was selected as Founders’ Lecturer – the highest honor of the U Arizona College of Medicine.  Dr. Slepian is an elected Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and an elected member of BEMA – the Biomaterials Engineering Materials and Applications (BEMA) Roundtable, of the National Research Council of the National Academies.  He is Past-President of the International Society for Mechanical Circulatory Support (ISMCS) is and Past-President of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO).  Dr. Slepian recently served  as an appointed member of PPAC – the Patent Public Advisory Committee of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) of the Dept of Commerce.

 

Degrees

• J.D. Law
• University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States
• M.D.
• University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
• Platelet Aggregating Lymphokine: An Novel Connection of Immune and Thrombotic Mechanisms
• B.A. Biochemical Sciences and Science in Human Affairs
• Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States
• The Role of Histocompatibility Antigens and Tumor Associated Antigens In Development and Neoplasia

Awards

• Cardiology Fellowship Teaching Award-Teacher of the Year-University of Arizona
• Spring 1996
• Clinical Scholar-Eli Lilly Research Laboratories
• Spring 1989
• Cleveland Clinic Foundation-Research Project Committee Grants (2)
• Spring 1988
• Basic Reserarch Suport Grant, Department of Medicine, NYU School of Medicine
• Spring 1983
• Alpha Omega Alpha, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Spring 1981
• Research Award, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Spring 1979
• Dean's Summer Research Fellowship, University of Cincinnati
• Spring 1978
• Science in Human Affairs Certificate-Princeton University
• Spring 1977
• American Society for Microbiology Undergraduate Scholarship
• Spring 1976
• Ohio Rheumatism Society, Research Award
• Spring 1976
• WNEW Channel 5 Metromedia Community Service Award
• Spring 1976
• American Chemical Society Research Award
• Spring 1973
• American Society for Microbiology Award (ISEF)-First Place
• Spring 1973
• Gold Key-New York Biology Teachers Award
• Spring 1973
• Highest Award in Biology-Stuyvesant High School
• Spring 1973
• International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Award in Microbiology-First Place
• Spring 1973
• Manhattan Science Fair-First Place
• Spring 1973
• Spring 1972
• Member, New York Academy of Sciences
• Spring 1973
• New York City Inventors Fair-Second Place "New Technique for Rapid Bacterial Identification and Diagnosis
• Spring 1973 (Award Finalist)
• New York City Mayor's Office Diamond Jubilee Award
• Spring 1973
• New York City Science Fair-First Place
• Spring 1973
• Spring 1972
• United States Air Force Award-Medicine and Health
• Spring 1973
• United States Army Research Award
• Spring 1973
• United States Atomic Energy Commission Research Award
• Spring 1973
• United States Nave Science Cruiser Award
• Spring 1973
• United States Student Representative to the Nobel Prize Ceremonies, Stockholm, Sweden
• Spring 1973
• Waldemar Medical Research Foundation Award
• Spring 1973
• Westinghouse Science Talent Search-National Honors
• Spring 1973
• American Society for Microbiology Award (ISEF)
• Spring 1972
• Future Scientists of America Award
• Spring 1972
• International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) Award in Microbiology
• Spring 1972
• University Distinguished Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award
• University of Arizona, Spring 2026
• Elected - Vice President
• Surfaces in Biomaterials Foundation, Fall 2025
• Extraordinary Faculty Award
• University of Arizona - College of Engineering, Fall 2025
• Appointed as Member of PPAC Patent Public Advisory Committee of the USPTO of the Dept of Commerce
• USPTO - United States Patent and Trademark Committee of the US Dept of Commerce, Fall 2023
• Elected as Fellow
• Biomedical Engineering Society, Fall 2023
• Pierce Lectureship
• Penn State, Spring 2023
• Kautz Master Award
• University of Cincinnati, Fall 2022
• Founders Day Lecturer
• UA College of Medicine, Fall 2020
• DaVinci Fellow
• UA College of Engineering, Spring 2019
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• Arizona Bioindustry Association AZ Bio, Fall 2017
• Distinguished Alumnus of the Year-University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
• Spring 2016
• Elected Fellow-National Academy of Inventors
• Spring 2016
• Elected-Faculty Senate, University of Arizona
• Spring 2016
• Elected Program Chair-Annual Meeting ASAIO (American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (for 2016 and 2017 Meeting)
• Spring 2015
• Medical Company of the Year Award-Arizona Business (SynCardia)
• Spring 2015
• Mentor-1st Place Scholarship Award (A. Dimasi)-International Cooperative Research of the International Society for Rotary Blood Pumps (ISRBP)
• Spring 2015
• Edison Award Innovation Finalist-for Portable Driver (SynCardia)
• Spring 2014
• Elected President-International Society of Rotary Blood Pumps (ISRBP)
• Spring 2014
• Fast Company Innovation by Design Award-MC10 Reebok Checklight
• Spring 2014
• Global 250 Top Private Companies-MC10
• Spring 2014
• MC10-International CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award, Best of Innovations
• Spring 2014
• MassTLC Innovative Technologies Award-MC10 Biostamp Technologies
• Spring 2014
• New Economy Award for Best medical Device (SynCardia)
• Spring 2014
• SynCardia-Innovator of the Year-Arizona Governors Celebration of Innovation/Arizona Technology Council/Arizona Commerce Authority
• Spring 2014
• University of Arizona Catapult Ward-Tech Launch Arizona "Advancing Impactful Inventions in BioMedical and Life Science of the U of A to the World"
• Spring 2014
• Appointed Member-Biomedical Engineering Materials and Applications (BEMA) Roundtable, National Research Council of the National Academies
• Spring 2013
• MC10-CES Innovations 2014 Design and Engineering Award
• Spring 2013
• MC10-Time Magazine-"10 Ideas That Make a Difference"
• Spring 2013
• MC10-World Economic Forum-Technology Pioneer
• Spring 2013
• Mentor-1st Place Scholarship Award (L. Valerio)-International Cooperative Research of the International Society for Rotary Blood Pumps (ISRBP)
• Spring 2013
• SynCardia-Recognized for SynCardia as a "100 Most Promising Companies (69/100)-Forbes
• Spring 2013
• ASAIO-Board of Trustees
• Spring 2012
• Elected Fellow-American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)
• Spring 2012
• International Society for Rotary Blood Pumps-Board of Trustees
• Spring 2012
• SynCardia-Medical Device Design Excellence Award (MDEA)-Freedom Portable Driver
• Spring 2012
• Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award-Semiconductors-MC10
• Spring 2012
• MC10-Recognized for Innovation: "Electronics That Can Bend"-Inc. Magazine
• Spring 2011
• SynCardia-Recognized for SynCardia as a "100 Most Promising Companies"-(78/100)-Forbes
• Spring 2011
• SynCardia-Recognized for SynCardia being #20/50 of the "Top 50 Innovation Companies"-Fast Company
• Spring 2011
• McGuire Scholar, Eller School of Business/Management, University of Arizona
• Spring 2010
• Alumnus of the Year Award-University of Cincinnati
• Spring 2006
• Arizona Small Business Association Award-"Companies to Watch"
• Spring 2006
• Entrepreneur and Entrepreneurial Company of the Year-Medical Devices Frost and Sullivan
• Spring 2005
• Madison's Who's Who of Executives and Professionals (to date)
• Spring 2004
• Most Significant Advance in Cardiovascular Medicine (#1 of 10 in "Top Ten List of Advances") American Heart Association
• Spring 2004
• Marquis Who's Who (to date)
• Spring 2002