Month: January 2016

2016 Founders Award

I am deeply honored and humbled to have been selected for the 2016 Founders Award from the Society For Biomaterials (SFB). The Founders Award is SFB’s highest award, and the selection is based on long-term, landmark contributions to the discipline of biomaterials. I will be honored at the 2016 World Biomaterials Congress in Montreal, Canada on May 18. I thank the SFB and look forward to advancing the discipline with new initiatives including the HEAL Project – our newly launched grand research challenge with the goals of engineering a human knee in seven years and an entire limb within 15 years. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Founders Award selection committee and the chair of SFB, Dr. Thomas Webster.

Advisory Committee to the Director, NIH

Last month, I was attending the 111th meeting of the Advisory Committee to the Director (ACD) at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. This was my last ACD meeting since I was elected as a member of ACD in 2013. In an effort to ensure that NIH senior management is getting the most rigorous and experienced guidance, the NIH director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., created the ACD made up of academic and health care industry leaders. As a committee member, my duty was to make recommendations concerning program development, resource allocation, NIH administrative regulation and policy, and other specific or general aspects of NIH policy. The committee members also review and make recommendations on applications for grants and cooperative agreements for research and training for projects that show promise of making valuable contributions to human knowledge. It was truly an honor to serve as a member of the ACD. It has been a great pleasure working with Dr. Collins and all members of ACD.

Advisory Committee to the Director committee

Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., with NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., with NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.

Speaking at the National Medical Association Local Society in Louisiana

Dr. Cato Laurencin at the National Medical Association Local Society in Louisiana

Last year November, it was a privilege and honor to speak to the Dr. Joseph Henry Tyler Jr. Society of the National Medical Association in Lafayette, Louisiana. I was selected as a National Medical Association (NMA) Living Legend by the group. During this trip, I also spoke to a large number of Lafayette high school students. My message to the students centered on my own story: the good effects of role models and what traits encourage success. The traits I emphasize are: being wise, hard working, being a good person and showing loyalty, being courageous, and being resilient.

Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Accepted for Indexing by MEDLINE

I am very happy to announce that the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities (JREHD) has been accepted for inclusion and indexing in MEDLINE, the U.S. National Library of Medicine database of indexed citations and abstracts.

We submitted a very strong application for inclusion in MEDLINE. Our acceptance reflects the great quality of the articles that have been published, and the excellence of our editorial board, reviewers, and authors.

First Issue of Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine

I am pleased to announce the successful launch of the first issue of the international peer-reviewed journal Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine (RETM). Published by Springer International Publishing AG, the goal of this multidisciplinary journal is serving as a platform to discuss the convergence of advanced materials sciences, stem cell sciences, physics, developmental biology and clinical translation to develop novel regenerative strategies. The journal presents a premier, peer-reviewed forum for the publication of original papers, news and views, authoritative reviews, rapid communications and opinion papers addressing the important challenges and approaches to successfully regenerate complex tissues and organ systems. I would like to express my gratitude to the Associate Editors, Editorial Board members, and editorial staff. I hope you enjoy this premiere issue of RETM and will consider submitting your future work to this new transformative journal.

Chinese Academy of Engineering

I am one of a select group of engineers from around the world to have been elected a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), one of the most prestigious academic institutions in China. A CAE academician title is the highest Chinese academic achievement in Engineering and Technology and a lifelong honor. The induction ceremony will be held in Beijing in June 2016. I am extremely honored to join these distinguished scholars. It will inspire me to make more contributions in science and engineering in the years to come.