Bulletin

Dr. Cato Laurencin elected to National Academy of Engineering

Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD, FACS, is the first surgeon to have been elected to membership in the three National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

ACS

June 3, 2021

The National Academy of Sciences recently announced that Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD, FACS, Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Connecticut, was elected as a new member, making him the first surgeon to be elected to membership in the three National Academies—of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine—and a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.

Dr. Laurencin is known as a world leader in biomaterials, polymeric materials science, nanotechnology, stem cell science, drug delivery systems, as well as regenerative engineering—a field he has pioneered. His breakthrough achievements in science, engineering, and medicine have resulted in transformative advances in improving human life. For this work, Dr. Laurencin received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honor bestowed in the U.S. for technological achievement, from President Barack Obama.

Dr. Laurencin also has pioneered work in the development of systems for soft tissue regeneration. He invented the Laurencin-Cooper ligament (LC ligament) for anterior cruciate ligament regeneration, and engineered grafts for shoulder rotator cuff tendon repair and regeneration. He is the first person to receive both the highest award of the National Academy of Medicine (the Walsh McDermott Medal) and the highest award of the National Academy of Engineering (the Simon Ramo Founders Award).

A role model in science and champion of social justice, Dr. Laurencin has been recognized through multiple awards named in his honor and as a recipient of others, including the 2020 Herbert W. Nickens Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges for work in promoting justice, equity, and fairness.