In 1967, Willem J. Kolff joined the University of Utah as head of the newly formed Department of Biomedical Engineering in 1967. Dr. Kolff developed the first artificial kidney in 1942, the first membrane oxygenator for clinical use, and headed a team which invented and tested an artificial heart.

Dr. Kolff was also involved in intra-aortic balloon pumping, organ preservation for transplantation, and development of biomaterials. In 1991, Life magazine named him one of the 20th century’s most influential Americans. (Photo: Courtesy of the University of Utah).

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