A professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Calgary's Schulich School of Engineering, Di Martino says she feels privileged to have been named a fellow.
Elena Di Martino was recently named a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Photo Courtesy Elena Di Martino
"It's a great honour to be recognized amongst Canadian engineers of all disciplines who are having a positive impact," says Di Martino, who was nominated by both a former supervisor and former department director, as well as a UCalgary colleague.
Her research focuses on understanding how healthy heart and vascular tissue becomes diseased, with the goal of developing bioengineering tools for improved diagnosis and personalized therapy. She has worked on designing and developing heart valves. More recently, her research has focused on abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) dangerous bulges in the abdominal aorta, the main blood vessel delivering blood to the torso and legs. A ruptured aorta is life-threatening, and without immediate treatment, fatal.
Because AAAs often have no symptoms and can remain stable for years, determining the right time for surgery can be challenging. For the past decade, Di Martino has collaborated with vascular surgeon Dr. Randy Moore, MD, to find reliable, non-invasive ways to predict rupture risk.
Together, they launched predictive software called Virtual Touch Aortic Aneurysm (ViTAA), now transforming AAA treatment, and co-founded ViTAA Medical Solutions an AI-powered health-tech startup aimed at improving surgical planning and reducing mortality.
Early years
Growing up in Milano, Italy, Di Martino excelled in math and sciences, debating between careers in engineering and physics. A personal tragedy solidified her choice.
"My best friend died the summer before we were supposed to attend university, and his death motivated me to choose engineering, which was a bit of a scary place at the time, particularly for women," she says.
She studied bioengineering at the Politecnico of Milano, where her interest was sparked when a professor working on an artificial heart brought her class to observe open-heart surgery.
As a master's and PhD student, she collaborated closely with cardiac surgeons, even visiting the operating room twice weekly to collect tissue samples. Winning a national competition secured her place in a highly competitive PhD program a collaboration between the cardiovascular surgery program and the Politecnico an experience she credits with shaping her career.
Career in Calgary
After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh and research associate role at Carnegie Mellon University, Di Martino accepted a faculty position at the University of Calgary in 2007 at the Schulich School of Engineering and joined the Centre for Bioengineering, where she later served as director.
Beyond research, she is passionate about mentoring, particularly young women.
"Of all my activities, I am most proud of my students," she says. "Seeing what they do, and knowing I played a role in forming who they are, is very fulfilling."
Di Martino's advocacy helped lead to the creation of UCalgary's bioengineering undergraduate program and, in 2022, the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Di Martino has also co-designed a summer bioengineering program to teach basic physics concepts to students without high school physics credits. She's also reached the broader community through activities such as organizing Women In Engineering Day activities.
Her efforts have earned her numerous awards, including the Women in Engineering and Geoscience Award from the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta, the Schulich School of Engineering's Service and Leadership Award and recognition as a UCalgary Peak Scholar.
Di Martino offers the following advice for young engineers.
"Respect and take advantage of the opportunities you are given," she says. "You are shaped by those experiences and the people that cross your path."
Elena Di Martino, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Calgary's Schulich School of Engineering. She is a member of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute.
