Randles Named Distinguished Member of Association of Computing Machinery

2/15/24 Pratt School of Engineering

Amanda Randles was recognized for using computational models to improve the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of human diseases

Amanda Randles pointing to large screen with colorful illustration — Randles Named Distinguished Member of Association of Computing Machinery

Amanda Randles, the Alfred Winborne and Victoria Stover Mordecai Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Duke University, was named a Distinguished Member by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). Randles was one of 52 researchers to receive this distinction, which is awarded to scientists who have achieved significant accomplishments or have made a significant impact on the computing field.

The ACM recognized Randles for her work to design large-scale computer simulations to model how blood, particles and cells travel through veins and arteries. To accomplish this, Randles and her team developed a massively parallel fluid dynamics simulation, known as HARVEY, that can model the full human arterial system at a subcellular resolution. In her most recent work, Randles used HARVEY to simulate the movement of individual cancer cells across long distances within the entire human body.

Randles received her bachelor’s degree in both computer science and physics from Duke University, where she received her first patent as an undergraduate student. She earned her master’s degree in computer science and her PhD in applied physics from Harvard University with a secondary field in computational science. Randles has received wide recognition and honors for her work, including the 2017 ACM Grace Murray Hopper Award, an NSF CAREER Award, an NIH Pioneer Award, and she was named an MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35, a 2020 Young Innovator of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, and a member of the National Academy of Inventors.

The ACM has always fostered a strong and supportive community that champions innovation and excellence in computing. Being recognized as an ACM Distinguished Member is a significant honor and I am humbled to be included in this impressive group of scholars. While I am grateful for this honor, it is truly a testament to the incredible effort and achievements of my fantastic team, whose support and collaboration have been instrumental in everything we have accomplished together.
Amanda Randles Alfred Winborne and Victoria Stover Mordecai Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences

The ACM Distinguished Member program recognizes up to 10% of the worldwide ACM membership based on professional experience and significant achievements in computing beyond the norm. To be nominated, a candidate must have at least 15 years of professional experience in the field and five years of professional ACM membership in the last 10 years. As a Distinguished Member, researchers are also expected to serve as a mentor and role model to younger professionals, not just within ACM but across the field of computer science.