UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Patrick Drew, professor of engineering sciences and mechanics, of neurosurgery, of biology and of biomedical engineering and associate director of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, has been selected to serve as interim director of the Huck Institutes with the appointment of Troy Ott as dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State. Drew’s position will be effective July 1.
As interim director, Drew will lead one of Penn State’s largest and most interdisciplinary research units. The Huck Institutes includes more than 30 research centers and institutes, manages 11 core facilities, and administers six Intercollege Graduate Degree Programs (IGDPs). More than 600 faculty researchers participate in Huck programs, representing more than 50 departments across nine colleges at the University.
“I am delighted that Patrick agreed to be interim Huck director. He embodies the ethos of Huck — an interdisciplinary research scholar, strategic thinker, and exceptional leader with deep roots within Huck and in the field,” said Andrew Read, senior vice president for research at Penn State. “With Penn State’s ongoing innovation and success at the intersection of engineering and life sciences, we’re excited to have our first engineer at the helm, and I’m confident that Huck will be in great hands as we conduct a national search for the next director.”
Drew previously served as the associate director of the Penn State Neuroscience Institute. He’s affiliated with Huck’s Center for Molecular Investigation of Neurological Disorders, Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, and Center for Neurotechnology in Mental Health Research, and is a member of the Center for Neural Engineering. He also advises students in two of Huck’s IGDP programs: Neuroscience and Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Biosciences.
“I am excited step into this role because the Huck Institutes has provided so many opportunities for my work, and I now have the chance to work with the passionate faculty and staff of the Huck to support others and to steer interdisciplinary research at Penn State,” Drew said. “The strength of the Huck is its unparalleled ability to bring together people from across the University to catalyze groundbreaking life-science research. The Huck does this so well, in so many ways, and with so many different groups of researchers, it is both remarkable and inspiring.”
Drew’s research focuses on understanding how blood flow to the brain is regulated and its role in neurodegenerative disease. He’s pioneered advanced optical imaging techniques to observe neural and vascular dynamics in the brain and decipher how behavior states may affect these dynamics.
In recognition of his work in the field of neural engineering, he was inducted into the 2024 class of fellows for the American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineering (AIMBE), one of the highest distinctions for medical and biological engineers. He’s also received the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience Scholar Award. He currently serves as associate editor of the journal Neurophotonics and academic editor for PLoS Biology.
Drew received his bachelor of science degree in biology from the California Institute of Technology and doctorate in neuroscience from Brandeis University. Following graduation, he spent six years as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Diego before joining the faculty at Penn State as an assistant professor in the departments of Engineering Science and Mechanics, and of Neurosurgery, in 2010.