Junjie Yao Elected to AIMBE College of Fellows

Junjie Yao of Duke Biomedical Engineering has been elected to the College of Fellows at the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE).

Yao, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Duke, was recognized for his advancements and international leadership in biophotonics, photoacoustic imaging and ultrasound printing.

With Yao’s election, Duke BME is now home to more than two dozen AIMBE fellows—representing the top 2 percent of accomplished and distinguished medical and biological engineers responsible for innovation and discovery.

A Pioneer of Imaging From Sound

Yao is a pioneer of photoacoustic imaging, which uses brief laser pulses and ultrasound waves to create detailed and colorful biomedical images.

Unlike other imaging technologies, like X-ray, CT scans, or MRI, photoacoustic imaging allows researchers to quickly and accurately image everything from a single cell to an entire body.

Besides improved scalability, photoacoustic imaging allows researchers to gather functional and molecular information about tissue and cellular targets.

Scans That Solve Mysteries

Since joining Duke in 2016, Yao has used the technology to create full-body scans of animal models that show blood flow, organ activity and firing neural networks.

He’s also helped advance the imaging technology so it can non-invasively measure the temperature of deep tissues, track deep-brain activity and even solve the mystery of how glass frogs become transparent.

In addition to this work, he’s also formed successful collaborations that have resulted in impressive technologies, most notably a biocompatible ink that can harden into 3D shapes and structures after absorbing ultrasound waves.

Top 2% of Biomedical Engineers

Yao was formally inducted at the 2025 AIMBE Annual Meeting on March 31.

AIMBE is a nonprofit, honorific society that serves as the authoritative voice and advocate for the value of medical and biological engineering to society. Nominations of fellows are peer-reviewed and voted on by the College of Fellows.

Its fellows are among the most distinguished medical and biological engineers and include Nobel laureates, Presidential Medal winners and members of the National Academies.