Month: November 2016

Indian National Academy of Engineering

Posted on by Melanie L Burnat

By Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.

I am happy to announce I was elected a Foreign Fellow by the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) for the outstanding accomplishments bridging engineering and medicine. This was the second time I was honored by India. In 2015, the Indian National Academy of Sciences also elected me as a Foreign Fellow. I am so fortunate to be the first American-born scientist elected to both academies. I am honored to be recognized by my colleagues and peers in. I am also honored to represent the University of Connecticut, demonstrating to the world the great level of science that is present at our school. I look forward to further collaborations with the talented engineers and scientists of India to advance knowledge in the service of mankind.

Presentation of the Nominees for 2016 Prix Galien USA Best Medical Technology

Posted on by Melanie L Burnat

By Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.

Last month, I had the pleasure of presenting the nominees for the 2016 Prix Galien Best Medical Technology Award in the Prix Galien USA Gala Awards Ceremony at New York City’s Museum of Natural History. The Prix Galien was created in 1970 in France by a pharmacist named Roland Mehl. It honors Galien, the father of medical science and modern pharmacology. Prizes are awarded for products and agents that improve the human condition. The Prix Galien USA awards prizes for therapeutics, including Best Pharmaceutical Agent, Best Biotechnology Product, and Best Medical Technology approved by the FDA in the past five years. The Prix Galien is considered to be the industry’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize and is the highest accolade for pharmaceutical research and development.

It was a great honor for me to serve on the Galien Foundation Committee. The presentation is online.

2nd Annual National Health Disparities Elimination Summit

Posted on by Melanie L Burnat

The 2nd Annual National Health Disparities Elimination SummitBy Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.

On October 29, the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS) at UConn, in partnership with the Connecticut Legislative Black and Puerto Rican Caucus and the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute, hosted the second National Health Disparities Elimination Summit here at UConn Health. The summit’s theme was “Living in America Today,” and its goal was bringing stakeholders together to provide important information and resources to eliminate health disparities.

This year’s summit took a holistic approach and focused on how different environments are creating or exacerbating health disparities. Discussions surrounded physical environments such as the Flint, MI water crisis; health care environment and the role of diversity in improving outcomes; and social environment including societal structural issues such as gun violence. Where people live matters! Health care providers, politicians, community leaders and individuals can all positively impact their environments, resulting in improved health outcomes in their communities.

The hours of planning and execution invested in this event were recognized by all the attendees, and I was told by several people how impressed they were by this year’s summit. I want to thank everyone for the work and the commitment to excellence.

Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students

Posted on by Melanie L Burnat

Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority StudentsBy Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.

I was honored to serve as the keynote speaker for the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in Tampa, FL on November 10. ABRCMS is the largest professional conference for underrepresented minority students in STEM. The theme for the meeting was “Diverse Voices, Diverse Science: A Future of Excellence in STEM Research.” My lecture, “Regenerative Engineering: The Future of Tissue Regeneration” highlighted the increasing convergence between engineering, biology, and medicine. This meeting was packed with undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students, graduate students and postdoctoral scientists and faculty, program directors and administrators. Thanks to ABRCMS for inviting me to participate in this important conference.