David F. Meaney

Biography

David F. Meaney is a pioneering researcher in traumatic brain injury who has taught at Penn since 1993, following postdoctoral work at the university. As the Solomon R. Pollack Professor of Bioengineering and Vice Provost for Research, he oversees Penn’s $1.4 billion research enterprise, shaping policy and advancing strategic initiatives across the University’s diverse portfolio of research programs. His leadership encompasses strategic planning for research development, administration of new research facilities, and fostering partnerships between Penn and industry while facilitating the translation of discoveries from University laboratories to public benefit.

Prof. Meaney brings to his role extensive experience in research administration and strategic planning, having recently completed his tenure as Senior Associate Dean of Penn Engineering, where he led the school’s dramatic space expansion. He managed 550,000 square feet of research space while leading the planning and construction of 125,000+ square feet of new facilities, including data science and energy research buildings representing a $150 million capital investment. His vision for interdisciplinary collaboration resulted in transformative initiatives including Penn Health Tech, the Center for Precision Engineering for Health (CPE4H), and strategic partnerships that have generated over $25 million in follow-on funding across engineering, medicine, and the life sciences.

During his administrative career, Prof. Meaney has demonstrated exceptional ability to build and nurture research communities. As Bioengineering Department Chair, he helped recruit over 25 new faculty members—including Sloan Fellows, NIH New Innovator Award recipients, and a MacArthur Fellow—while establishing new models for interschool recruitment and joint appointments. His leadership significantly improved faculty diversity and tripled departmental research funding per capita, contributing to the program’s rise from #10 to #4 in national rankings.

An author of more than 150 publications with over 20,000 citations, Prof. Meaney’s research has fundamentally changed our understanding of traumatic brain injury and neural mechanobiology. His laboratory contributed experimental data that revised federal motor vehicle safety standards for head protection—changes that save approximately 3,500 lives annually and prevent more than 200,000 head injuries each year in the US. He co-founded Axonova Medical to translate neural tissue engineering discoveries and pioneered breakthrough diagnostic technologies using brain-derived exosomes that significantly exceed current clinical biomarker capabilities.

His work has been recognized with a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the Y.C. Fung Young Investigator Award, and the Richard Skalak Best Paper Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineering, among numerous honors. He is an elected fellow of both the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). He earned his Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, respectively, and serves on multiple editorial boards and scientific advisory committees nationwide.