Professor Edward Botchwey Inaugurates the HEAL Project Seminar Series

March 9, 2016

On February 18, we were honored to have Edward Botchwey, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech, as the first speaker in the HEAL Seminar Series. Dr. Botchwey delivered a talk entitled “Engineering Immunologically Smart Biomaterials for Regenerative Medicine.”

Ed was one of my graduate students at Drexel who later moved with me to the University of Virginia. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2002. After completing a United Negro College Fund/Merck sponsored postdoctoral fellowship at the Wistar Institute, he became an associate professor in the both biomedical engineering and orthopaedic surgery at the University of Virginia. In 2009, Ed was selected by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to receive the 2009 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). It is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers.

The Botchwey Laboratory at Georgia Tech takes a multidisciplinary approach for the improvement of tissue engineering therapies through study of microvascular remodeling, inflammation resolution, and host stem cells.

We look forward to bringing other innovative research leaders to speak as part of this seminar series here at UConn Health.

CICATS Celebrates Excellence in Research

February 16, 2016

CICATS Celebrates Excellence in Research

CICATS Celebrates Excellence in Research Last month, the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS) held its first annual “Celebration of Excellence in Research” for its 17 Core Interest Groups (CIGs).

CIGs were developed to promote collaborative, transdisciplinary research. The CIG concept clearly accommodates the goal of disease-agnostic research, allowing the spontaneous formation of new research enterprises. Investigators from all partnering institutions are encouraged to be a part of CIGs. Current CIG research activities focus on a range of basic, clinical, and translational initiatives on: aging, biomedical engineering, multidisciplinary obesity research, cancer prevention, mental health, cardiovascular diseases, drug discovery, correctional health research, e-health and m-health technologies, injury prevention, stroke and cerebrovascular diseases, occupational safety and health, personalized immunotherapy, musculoskeletal research, sickle cell disease, women’s cancer, and health disparities.

The event celebrated and showcased the work and success of each CIGs, providing an opportunity for faculty and community-based organizations to network for collaborative research projects. It also included brief overviews of research project by CIG researchers and poster displays.

This was a very happy occasion to celebrate our researchers and the remarkable growth they have achieved thus far and will continue to achieve. These programs would not have been possible and successful without the support of our faculty, partners, affiliates, administrators and most importantly, the Connecticut Legislative Black and Puerto Rican Caucus.

The HEAL Project Discussion on “The Stan Simpson Show”

Dr. Cato Laurencin and Stan Simpson Last month, Stan Simpson, host of “The Stan Simpson Show” on Fox CT, invited me to be a guest on his show for the second time. During the interview, I explained our current research initiative named “Hartford Engineering A Limb” (HEAL) at the Institute for Regenerative Engineering. The project’s goal is to regenerate a human knee in seven years and a whole limb in fifteen. The field of regenerative engineering is still in its infancy, and through the HEAL project, we are hoping to utilize this new approach to bring life-changing breakthroughs to patients. The interview can be seen on the web, please visit the following link:

http://fox61.com/2016/01/16/the-stan-simpson-show-more-on-uconns-heal-project/

2016 Founders Award

January 25, 2016

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

January 22, 2016

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.

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

January 20, 2016

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

January 12, 2016

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

January 8, 2016

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

January 6, 2016

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.

Unveiling HEAL

December 12, 2015

I was pleased to announce the launch of Hartford Engineering A Limb (HEAL) on Veterans Day at the Connecticut Science Center. The goal of this potentially revolutionary scientific project is to regenerate a new joint in 7 years and a limb in 15 years. Aimed at helping wounded warriors as well as others who have lost limbs or experienced nerve damage, HEAL is run by UConn Health’s Institute for Regenerative Engineering.

We have teamed up with top regenerative engineers who are dedicated to advancing their fields and developing future therapies for patients living with musculoskeletal defects or limb injury or loss. Senior HEAL Team investigators include Drs Lakshmi Nair and Yusuf Khan of UConn Health, Dr. David M. Gardiner of the University of California Irvine, professors at Harvard University, Columbia University, and Sastra University in India. The HEAL project will be further supported by 10 dedicated research fellows and a collaborative team of scientists and clinicians in biomedical engineering, stem cell sciences, molecular biology, orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery and rehabilitation medicine from across the UConn Health campus.

I thank everyone involved in the press conference for their phenomenal work organizing this event over the past weeks. I appreciate all the speakers who shared their expertise and insights on the HEAL project. I also thank the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Raymond and Beverly Sackler Foundation, and the Connecticut Legislative Black and Puerto Rican Caucus for their continuing support of our research programs.