Becky Wachs

As a college athlete, Becky Wachs often found herself battling neck, back and knee pain. The experience motivated her to understand the root causes of her discomfort and seek more effective treatments.

“I am incredibly curious and love learning new things,” says Wachs, a new associate professor of biomedical engineering in the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University. “In the field of chronic musculoskeletal pain, there is always more to learn.”

Driven by her passion for discovery, Wachs pursued a career researching bone and muscle pain. Her dedication led her to uncover new insights and advancements in the field.

While completing her doctorate at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Wachs focused her research on developing pain solutions. Her work culminated in the invention of a new implantable sensor capable of wirelessly transmitting data from a variety of orthopedic surgeries.

The groundbreaking achievement earned her the 2013 Lemelson-Rensselaer Student Prize. After earning her doctoral degree, Wachs went on to work as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Florida before becoming an assistant professor at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

She is now drawn to ASU, where she will teach a course on advanced biomaterials to explore new research and professional opportunities while staying true to her own values.

“There is a lot of alignment between my own personal values and ASU’s,” Wachs says.

In her new position, she is eager to collaborate with experts in developing innovative imaging technology to better diagnose patients with irregular nerve growth. For example, when someone experiences low back pain, nerves can grow into the spinal disc tissue, leading to pain. The Wachs lab is dedicated to finding ways to create treatments that specifically target these pain-inducing nerves.

Beyond her college awards, Wachs has received various awards since graduating. She earned the 2023 Journal of Orthopaedic Research – Spine Young Investigator Award, a 2022 Young Innovators title from the Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering journal and a 2021 Young Investigators Award from the journal Cells Tissues Organs. Additionally, Wachs received a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award in 2018 for developing an alternative non-opioid therapy for low back pain.

As a researcher and educator, Wachs’ proudest accomplishment is training future biomedical engineers.

“I am most proud of my students graduating and finding their paths,” she says.

When not at work, Wachs enjoys hiking, biking and walking with friends. She also enjoys baking and spending time with her husband and their two dogs.

Meet the newest faculty members of the Fulton Schools of Engineering here.

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Written by Allison Lyne