“Regenerative Engineering: Answering the Next Generation Grand Challenges”
Presented by:
Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.
University Professor
Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Director, The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Center for Biomedical, Biological, Physical and Engineering Sciences
Director, The Institute for Regenerative Engineering
Chief Executive Officer, Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science
The University of Connecticut
Friday, November 6, 2015 – 12:00 noon
Refreshments will be served at 11:30 a.m.
Oak Hall, Room 101
Sponsored by the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Biomedical Engineering
Abstract: The next ten years will see unprecedented strides in regenerating musculoskeletal tissues. We are moving from an era of advanced prosthetics, to what I term regenerative engineering. In doing so, we have the capability to begin to address grand challenges in musculoskeletal regeneration. Tissues such as bone, ligament, and cartilage can now be understood from the cellular level to the tissue level. We now have the capability to produce these tissues in clinically relevant forms through tissue engineering techniques. Our improved ability to optimize engineered tissues has occurred in part due to an increased appreciation for stem cell technology and nanotechnology, two relatively new tools for the tissue engineer.
Critical parameters impact the design of novel scaffolds for tissue regeneration. Cellular and intact tissue behavior can be modulated by these designs. Design of systems for regeneration must take place with a holistic and comprehensive approach, understanding the contributions of cells, biological factors, scaffolds and morphogenesis.
Bio: Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D. is a University Professor at UConn. He is the 8th to be designated in UConn’s over 130-year history. Dr. Laurencin is the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut.
Named one of the 100 Engineers of the Modern Era by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Dr. Laurencin is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society, the Biomedical Engineering Society, the Materials Research Society, and an International Fellow in Biomaterials Science and Engineering, as well as a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Laurencin is a member of the editorial boards of 20 journals, and is the Editor-in-Chief of Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine.
Dr. Laurencin has been honored by two Presidents. He received the Presidential Faculty Fellow Award from President Bill Clinton for his work bridging engineering and medicine, and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math and Engineering Mentoring from President Barack Obama, in ceremonies at the White House.
Dr. Laurencin has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) the Department of Defense, NASA and numerous foundations. He is the recipient of two Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation Awards (EFRI) from NSF. He has received the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award for his work in Regenerative Engineering, specifically focused on limb regeneration.
Dr. Laurencin is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Internationally, he is an elected Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences and The World Academy of Sciences. He recently was elected a Fellow (foreign) of the Indian National Academy of Sciences.
Dr. Laurencin earned his B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University and his Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he was named a Hugh Hampton Young Fellow. Dr. Laurencin also earned his M.D., Magna Cum Laude, from the Harvard Medical School.
For more information, contact: Lorri Lafontaine/Department of Materials Science and Engineering at (860) 486-4620/lorri.lafontaine@uconn.edu.