The Journal of Biomedical Materials Research (JBMR) has just published its 100th volume, Progress in Biomaterials, which features the top 25 papers it has published in its 50+ years. I am happy to report that one of our lab’s papers, “Electrospun nanofibrous structure: A novel scaffold for tissue engineering” was selected for inclusion. This article has been cited more than 1100 times. According to JBMR, the major criteria for inclusion of papers in this virtual issue was “the identification of articles that, in their time, were considered novel, original, state-of-the-art, groundbreaking, led to clinical application, and opened new areas of biomaterials research.” The editors commented “this pioneering paper by Laurencin showed that biodegradable electrospun nanofiber structures were capable of supporting cell attachment and proliferation and indicated that cells seeded on this structure could maintain phenotypic shape and guide growth according to nanofiber orientation.” Perhaps even more exciting, the editors chose figure 2 of our paper for the cover of the 100th Volume Celebration Edition.
Congratulations to all.
Image was adpated from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1552-4981/homepage/VirtualIssuesPage.html.
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Roshan James recently joined the Institute for Regenerative Engineering as a postdoctoral fellow. His current research focuses on the design and fabrication of novel biomaterials for musculoskeletal tissue engineering. His research interests include biomaterials, integrated tissues, and regenerative engineering.
It is worth noting that Dr. James has made a significant impact on tendon tissue engineering. He has successfully developed a novel tubular scaffold system to regenerate a large gap defect in tendon tissue due to severe injuries. The scaffold system can also deliver adipose stromal cells and growth factors that facilitate the regenerative process resulting in new tendon tissue formation.
To further facilitate collaborations between UConn and internationally renowned experts, it was our great honor to host Ronald W. Rousseau, chair of the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Rousseau, the Cecil J. “Pete” Silas Endowed Chair, delivered a talk entitled “Chirally Pure Pharmaceutical Products: The Role of Crystallization” in the Department of Chemical, Materials and Biomolecular Engineering at Storrs. His research focuses on separation processes and has resulted in more than 200 publications. Dr. Rousseau has received numerous awards including the prestigious Warren K. Lewis Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), the Clarence G. Gerhold Award from the AIChE’s Separations Division and the AIChE’s Forest Products Award. He is a fellow of both AIChE and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). It was an honor having Dr. Rousseau at UConn, and we look forward to collaborating with him in the future.
Last month, I was honored to deliver the Basore Lecture at Auburn. I appreciated the warm hospitality provided by the entire school. I want to thank Professor Mario R. Eden, Chairman of the Chemical Engineering for hosting me. During the visit, I also had the opportunity to join my friend and colleague, Dr. James Andrews a world-renowned orthopaedic surgeon on the Auburn football team sidelines.
I was proud to receive the prestigious Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award last month in Atlanta, Georgia. It recognizes individuals who have worked to inspire their students to be mentors themselves. I was nominated by my former student Dr. Saadiq El-Amin who is currently a professor of orthopaedic surgery at Southern Illinois University who is mentoring a new generation of students and individuals in the community. I am grateful to Dr. El-Amin and the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award Advisory Committee for this award.
It was my honor and privilege to serve as Visiting Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas, Austin. During the visit, I delivered the Pirkey lectureship entitled “Musculoskeletal Regenerative Engineering: Taking on the Grand Challenges.” My talk highlighted the tremendous work being carried out here at the Institute for Regenerative Engineering. More specifically, I discussed the unprecedented strides predicted for the next decade in regenerating musculoskeletal tissues, a move from an era of advanced prosthetics to what we terms “Regenerative Engineering.”
I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Tao Jiang, CICATS Investigator Advocate and Assistant Professor of Medicine, has been appointed to the faculty of the Institute for Regenerative Engineering. Dr. Jiang received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 1999 and an M.S. in Materials Science in 2001, both from Tsinghua University in Beijing.
In early June, I was honored to give a keynote address at the World Biomaterials Congress in Chengdu, China. During my talk, “Hierarchical Nanostructures for Tissue Regeneration,” I highlighted the elegant work done by the Institute for Regenerative Engineering, including my students and fellows. The symposium, Hierarchical 3-Dimensional Structures for Tissue Regeneration, was chaired by my former graduate student, Professor Justin Brown from the Department of Bioengineering, Pennsylvania State University. In addition, Dr. Lakshmi Nair, Dr. Sangamesh Kumbar and Dr. Meng Deng, also from the Institute, gave talks during the symposium. This was my first visit to Chengdu, I was deeply impressed by its natural beauty, as well as its historical and culture treasures. I so appreciated the hospitality provided by the planners. I also want to thank Professor Xingdong Zhang, chairman of the 9th WBC organizing committee, for arranging a wonderful conference.