Professor Dr. Banu Onaral was born on 15 June 1949. Onaral is an academic internationally recognized in the field of biomedical engineering. She passed away in 2024. Her academic work is known for efforts in developing university-industry collaboration models and their impact on institutional structures. Onaral is the granddaughter of Nuri Demirağ, one of Türkiye’s early industrial entrepreneurs.

Onaral completed her undergraduate studies in the Department of Electrical Engineering at Boğaziçi University. She earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. In 1981, she began her academic career at Drexel University, where she played a leading role in establishing the Department of Biomedical Engineering and served as its head for many years. Her academic expertise includes signal processing, medical imaging systems, neuroimaging, and biomedical systems engineering. Her scientific publications in these areas have received numerous citations and contributed significantly to interdisciplinary research.

A translational research approach holds a prominent place in Onaral’s academic activities. The translational research centers she established at Drexel University hosted projects aimed at developing and implementing health technologies. Collaborative models between researchers and industry representatives were developed within these centers to support commercialization processes. Her work in medical devices, neurotechnology, and digital health was integrated into programs designed to translate research findings into practical applications.

Despite continuing her career in the United States, Onaral contributed in various ways to Türkiye’s science and technology ecosystem. She provided consultancy services to universities, supported the establishment of technology parks and technology transfer offices, and participated in initiatives under the National Industry and University Collaboration Centers Platform (USİMP) to develop university-industry collaboration models.

Onaral held various administrative positions at Drexel University and contributed to both research activities and academic organization through the centers she founded. She delivered lectures at several institutions in Türkiye, including Sabancı University, and engaged in work related to higher education curricula.

In memoriam of Onaral, who passed away in 2024, commemorative events were organized by institutions such as the Boğaziçi University Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Sabancı University. In the academic community, she is remembered for her contributions to interdisciplinary research and her support for the development of researchers.

• NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award
• Lindback Foundation Award for Distinguished Teaching
• Drexel University Honorary Leadership Award
• USİMP Honorary Award
• Various memberships and roles in IEEE and other professional organizations

She also served on numerous scientific boards and committees and held roles in the organization of various scientific communities.