John Rogers Elected to the American Philosophical Society
Rogers honored by ‘oldest learned society’ in the US
Bioelectronics pioneer John A. Rogers was elected into the American Philosophical Society in recognition of his extraordinary accomplishments in his field.
Rogers is a member of the mathematician and physical sciences class. He is among 33 resident members and nine international members elected this year to the prestigious society.
Founded by Benjamin Franklin, the American Philosophical Society strives toward its goal of “promoting useful knowledge” by electing scholars, scientists, and professionals who make great strides in their respective fields. The oldest learned society in the US, it has 979 living members and has elected just 5,896 members since 1743.
Rogers is the Louis Simpson and Kimberly Querrey Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Neurological Surgery, with appointments in Northwestern Engineering and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He also is founding director of the Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics and the Querrey Simpson Institute for Translational Engineering for Advanced Medical Systems.
A world leader in flexible, wearable electronics, and bioelectronic medicine, Rogers' interdisciplinary research combines expertise from nearly every traditional field of study in science and engineering, with outcomes that have changed the way people think about consumer and medical devices. He is internationally renowned for developing methods for transforming brittle, rigid electronic systems into soft, flexible devices that bend, stretch, and twist with the human body.
After discovering that nanoscale forms of silicon can dissolve in water, Rogers and his team created a new class of technology called “transient electronics.” These devices harmlessly disappear in the body or the natural environment after no longer needed, creating new opportunities for dissolvable implants and sustainable electronics, respectively. Examples include dissolving nerve stimulators, pain relievers, and temporary pacemakers. Rogers’ other devices include soft, wireless monitoring devices for premature babies; non-invasive sensors that track fluid flow through ventricular shunts for treating hydrocephalus; skin-integrated microfluidic systems for analyzing biomarkers in sweat; wireless, battery-free devices for measuring personalized exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet light; wearable haptics devices that mimic the complexity of human touch; an ultrathin robotic probe for monitoring fetal health during surgery; and the first wearable device capable of measuring gases emitted from and absorbed by the skin.
Among Rogers’ many awards, he has received a MacArthur “genius grant,” a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Benjamin Franklin Medal, and the Royal Society’s Bakerian Medal. He’s also a member of The Royal Society, the National Academy of Science, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine.
Rogers has authored more than 1,000 scientific publications, which have garnered more than 250,000 citations, placing him among the most highly cited engineers in the world. He also holds more than 100 US patents and has founded several successful startup companies. A dedicated mentor, Rogers also has advised nearly 100 PhD students and more than 200 postdoctoral fellows, approximately 170 of whom now hold tenure-line academic positions at some of the most prestigious research universities around the globe. Hundreds of undergraduate students have also experienced research in his labs. To honor this work, Rogers received the Monie A. Ferst Award from the Sigma Xi organization for “notable contributions to the motivation and encouragement of research through education.”
Along with Rogers, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joel Mokyr was elected. Mokyr is the Robert H. Strotz Professor of Arts and Sciences and professor of economics and history at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, and is a member of the social sciences class.