Siddhartha Sikdar honored as Distinguished University Professor

George Mason University’s Board of Visitors voted in May to elevate College of Engineering and Computing professor Siddhartha Sikdar to the position of Distinguished University Professor. The title is the highest academic rank bestowed on George Mason University faculty members.

“This is a great honor that recognizes Siddhartha’s national and international reputation in research scholarship as well as his commitment to the success of our students, department, university, and the community,” said Ketul Popat, chair of the Department of Bioengineering.

Sikdar is currently a professor in the Department of Bioengineering in the College of Engineering and Computing. He is also the Director of the Center for Adaptive Systems of Brain-Body Interactions (CASBBI). This transdisciplinary center includes faculty with engineering, neuroscience, and rehabilitation expertise.

Sikdar’s research group within CASBBI conducts translational research using imaging to investigate brain-body interactions in many clinical conditions of major public health significance, such as chronic pain, stroke, spinal cord injury, and amputation. The group uses state-of-the-art ultrasound and laser instrumentation for developing new ultrasound, optical, and hybrid imaging techniques, and assistive technologies. The group is currently investigating the novel use of wearable ultrasound sensors for sensing muscle activity and controlling external devices such as multi-articulated prosthetic hands and exoskeletons.

Sikdar earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle in 2005. He received a postdoctoral fellowship from the American Heart Association. He has received the NSF CAREER Award, the Volgenau School of Engineering Rising Star Award, Mason’s Emerging Researcher/Scholar/Creator Award, and was nominated for the Rising Star Faculty Award of the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia. His current research is funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Defense.