Elizabeth A. Friis

Dr. Friis joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2001. Before coming to KU, she was a Research Scientist at the Orthopaedic Research Institute from 1987 to 2001. Dr. Friis’ main research interests are in biomaterials and biomechanics, with emphasis in spine biomechanics and mechanical testing and design of implants. Dr. Friis helped develop the Product Design and Development track in the KU Bioengineering Graduate program and has served as its Co-Director since 2007. She has received several teaching awards, including the KU Outstanding Woman Educator Award in 2007 and a Kemper Fellowship in 2006. Dr. Friis has led several efforts at KU to incorporate technology entrepreneurship education into the engineering curriculum.

Dr. Friis serves on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Biomedical Materials Research – Part A since 2007. In 2004, Dr. Friis was a Kauffman Entrepreneurial Faculty Scholar and was in the charter class of an entrepreneurial development program (PIPELINE) in 2007. She served as the Director of the Graduate Fellowship Program for the Institute for Advancing Medical Innovation from 2009 to 2011. Dr. Friis has received several National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health Small Business Innovation Research awards, and has licensed technologies that are currently commercialized.