Ligler receives honorary doctorate from the Agricultural University of Athens

Dr. Frances Ligler, Lampe Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering in the Joint NC State/UNC Department of Biomedical Engineering, was recently awarded an honorary doctorate from the Agricultural University of Athens in Athens, Greece, in recognition of her outstanding lifetime achievements in science. This honorary degree has only been awarded three times in the last decade.

Ligler joined the NC State faculty in 2013. From 1985-2013, she worked at the US Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC, where for 18 years she served as the Navy’s Senior Scientist for Biosensors and Biomaterials. A member of the National Academy of Engineering, she holds a D. Phil. in biochemistry and a higher doctorate, the D.Sc., for her contributions to the field of biosensors, both from Oxford University.

Ligler’s research interests include microfluidics, tissue on chip, optical analytical devices, biosensors, and nanotechnology. She is currently collaborating with other faculty members on subjects as diverse as imaging single molecules in living cells, smart nanomaterials for drug delivery, rapid diagnostics to assist surgeons, and rebuilding organ systems in three dimensions to learn more about how the component cells develop and function.