Manu Platt Explained

Manu Omar Platt
Alma Mater:Morehouse College
Georgia Institute of Technology
Workplaces:Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
NIH Intramural Research Program
Thesis Title:Role of shear stress in the differential regulation of endothelial cathepsins and cystatin C
Thesis Url:http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/71321637
Thesis Year:2006

Manu Omar Platt (born 1980) is an American biomedical engineer serving as the director of the NIH Biomedical Engineering Technology Acceleration (BETA) center.[1] [2] He also serves as NIBIB Associate Director for Scientific Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

He was previously a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. He served as Diversity Director of the Center on Emergent Behaviors of Integrated Cellular Systems.

Early life and education

Platt is the son of a veteran of the United States Air Force.[3] He spent his high school years in Dover, Delaware. As a high school student, Platt took part in science enrichment programmes at Delaware State University. He earned his undergraduate degree at Morehouse College, where he studied biology as an ARCS Foundation scholar.[4] [5] At Morehouse, Platt was mentored by Robert M. Nerem, and he took part in the Morehouse SPACE scholar programme.[6] On Nerem's advice Platt moved to the Georgia Institute of Technology for his graduate studies, where he worked with Hanjoong Jo on endothelial cell biology. His doctoral research was performed in collaboration with Emory University School of Medicine, as one of the first students to be part of the newly established biomedical engineering program. After earning his doctoral degree he joined Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Research and career

In 2009 Platt was appointed to the faculty of the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech, where he investigated the proteolytic mechanisms of disease, with a focus on conditions that impact Black communities.[7] [8] He has concentrated on reducing the occurrence of stroke in patients with sickle cell disease.

Platt has investigated how scientific discoveries have impacted the governmental response to HIV/AIDS.[9] He studied the various bills introduced by the United States Congress, and found that whilst the number of bills was related to breakthroughs in scientific research, it did not impact the passage of laws.

Platt is the founding director of Engaging New Generations at Georgia Tech through Engineering and Science (ENGAGES), a biotechnology and engineering research scheme for African American high school students.[10] [11] He delivered the 2017 Biomedical Engineering Society lecture, where he spoke about being from an underrepresented group in science, "Often, if you are the first or the only of a particular demographic category, the path is neither well paved, nor well lit,".[12] He remarked that scientists can feel like they are waiting for the "perfect time", to be impactful in promoting diversity and inclusion. In 2019 he was selected as a Keystone Symposia Fellow.[13] In response to the George Floyd protests, universities released statements that called out racism within their research institutions. Platt wrote a perspective piece for Nature Reviews Materials on racism within academia, in which he wrote, "It is said that science is a meritocracy; however, that only holds true if Black professors' existence is accepted."[14]

Platt was chosen, after a nationwide search, to become inaugural director for the NIBIB Biomedical Engineering Technology Acceleration (BETA) center, which works on translational, cross-disciplinary projects.

Awards and honours

Selected publications

Personal life

Platt is one of six sons, including political science researcher Matthew B. Platt.[19] He is a master of origami.[13]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Professor Manu Platt . 2024-02-09 . National Press Club of Australia . en.
  2. Web site: 2023-01-25 . NIH launches intramural bioengineering center to foster technology collaboration across the agency . 2024-02-09 . National Institutes of Health (NIH) . EN.
  3. Web site: 2015-02-02. Platt a Groundbreaker in Emerging Field. 2020-09-28. Diverse. en.
  4. Web site: Manu O. Platt, Ph.D.. 2020-09-28. ASM.org. en.
  5. Web site: Morehouse Luncheon and Scholar Presentations Atlanta. 2020-09-28. atlanta.arcsfoundation.org.
  6. Web site: S.P.A.C.E. Program Morehouse College. 2020-09-28. www.morehouse.edu.
  7. Web site: NIH Director's New Innovator Award Program - 2010 Award Recipients NIH Common Fund. 2020-09-28. commonfund.nih.gov. 18 September 2018 .
  8. Pollock. Anne. Roy. Deboleena. Platt. Manu O.. Adams. Morgann. Dusabamoro. Theophilia. Fearce. Chelesa. Fennell. Imani. Gaillard. Ebony. Harrison. Courtney. Sihwa. Daphney. Williams. Phoenix. 2017-10-18. How do Black Lives Matter in Teaching, Lab Practices, and Research?. Catalyst: Feminism, Theory, Technoscience. 3. 1. 1–38. 10.28968/cftt.v3i1.28793. 2380-3312. free.
  9. Web site: Two Brothers, One Paper: BME's Manu Platt and Harvard's Matthew Platt Publish AIDS Paper Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. 2020-09-28. bme.gatech.edu.
  10. Web site: Dr. Manu Platt. 2020-09-28. www.gtsaa.com. en.
  11. Web site: 2015-01-05. Project ENGAGES: Students get science, math & tech training. 2020-09-28. Atlanta INtown Paper. en-US.
  12. Web site: Revisiting Manu Platt's 2017 Biomedical Engineering Society Diversity Lecture Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. 2020-09-28. bme.gatech.edu.
  13. Web site: 2019-09-18. Keystone Symposia Fellow Manu Platt on Mentorship and Career Advancement . 2020-09-28. KeyPoint. Keystone Symposia. en-US.
  14. Platt. Manu O.. 2020-09-24. We exist. We are your peers.. Nature Reviews Materials. 5. 11. en. 783–784. 10.1038/s41578-020-00248-x. 2020NatRM...5..783P. 221884242. 2058-8437.
  15. Web site: Manu Platt Wins $1.5M NIH Director's New Innovator Award Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. 2020-09-28. bme.gatech.edu.
  16. Web site: Manu Platt Receives Diversity Award Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. 2020-09-28. bme.gatech.edu.
  17. Web site: Cancer Research Awardees Named; GCC Scholar Achievements. 2020-09-28. archive.constantcontact.com.
  18. Web site: BME's Manu Platt featured in Diverse Issues in Higher Education Magazine. 2020-09-28. Georgia Tech College of Engineering. en.
  19. Web site: Morehouse College. Morehouse College MPlattbio. 2020-09-28. www.morehouse.edu. en.

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