Professor Dr. Cato T. Laurencin of UConn To Receive Prestigious Marshall Urist Award from the Orthopaedic Research Society

January 27, 2022

The Orthopaedic Research Society will present Dr. Cato Laurencin, CEO of the Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering, with the Marshall R. Urist Award for Excellence in Tissue Regeneration Research. Dr. Laurencin is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. He will accept the award on February 7, 2022 at the society’s annual meeting.

Established in 1996, the Marshall Urist Award recognizes researchers who have demonstrated major achievements in the area of tissue regeneration and have established themselves as cutting edge scientists.

Dr. Laurencin has achieved breakthrough achievements in tissue regeneration, biomaterials science, nanotechnology, and regenerative engineering, a field he founded. He previously received the highest scientific honor of the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeon, the Nicolas Andry Award, and the Kappa Delta Award which is the highest scientific honor of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

He received his B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton, his M.D., Magna Cum Laude from the Harvard Medical School. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology from M.I.T.

Dr. Laurencin is the first surgeon elected to all four of the U.S. National Academies: the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Inventors. He is also the recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, America’s highest honor for technological achievement. Most recently the American Institute of Chemical Engineer’s Foundation established the Cato T. Laurencin Regenerative Engineering Founder’s Award, recognizing his pioneering work in the field.

On February 7, 2022, Dr. Laurencin will be honored the Marshall R. Urist MD Award and will deliver a presentation during the ORS Annual Meeting of 2022.

Dr. Laurencin and the Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering at the University of Connecticut Congratulate Masters in Clinical and Translational Science Graduate

January 13, 2022

 

The Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering at the University of Connecticut is please to congratulate Courtney D. Townsel, MD, MSc who recently published an article entitled “More than grit: growing and sustaining physician-scientists in obstetrics and gynecology” in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

 

Dr. Townsel, a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist, completed her Masters in Clinical and Translational Research at the University of Connecticut’s Connecticut Convergence Institute. After graduating from the University in 2018, she accepted a faculty position at the University of Michigan. She has been very successful with her research areas which include health disparities and substance use disorder in pregnancy. The Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering at the University of Connecticut is proud to have the opportunity to recognize Dr. Townsel and looks forward to her continued success.

 

To read more, view the newly published article here.

Dr. Laurencin Discusses High Rate of Vaccine Hesitancy Within Connecticut’s Black Community in Recent C-HIT Report

August 11, 2021

The Connecticut Health Investigative Team (C-HIT) recently published a story on low vaccination rates across Connecticut’s major cities. According to the article, “while differences in political ideologies have framed much of the vaccine conversation, the data shows that in Connecticut, the populations with the lowest vaccination rates are racial and ethnic minorities.” 

C-HIT spoke with Dr. Laurencin, who was one of the first to publish a study outlining the disproportionate rates of COVID-19 deaths and infections within the Black community. Laurencin states, ‘“If you look across the country at the trend that’s taking place in terms of vaccine hesitancy, there is something unique going on in Connecticut with the Black community. It’s the largest number I’ve seen, scanning across the other states, 40% who are waiting to get the vaccine. And I think that reflects a sophistication. I think people have been thinking about this, they need to hear from more trusted voices, and I think if they do, they will respond and proceed with the vaccine.”’

Read the full article here: http://c-hit.org/2021/08/09/communication-trust-needed-to-reassure-the-vaccine-resistant/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graphics by Alison Cross. C-HIT.

The Just Us Making Produce (JUMP) Program Expands Community Aeroponic Gardens with Several New Garden Towers at the Wilson-Gray YMCA in Continued Effort to Address Food Insecurity

August 10, 2021

 

The Connecticut Convergence Institute’s Just Us Making Produce (JUMP) Program has expanded its aerponic garden and healthy lifestyle education initiatives in partnership with the Wilson-Gray YMCA Youth and Family Center in Hartford. Last week, the YMCA unveiled their UConn Health Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering Community garden. The garden, one of several gardens implemented by Dr. Helen Wu and staff at the Convergence Institute, is run in conjunction with the staff and members at the YMCA. The program aims to address the rise in food insecurity in Hartford as a result of the pandemic. The gardens provide access to fresh vegetables that may not otherwise be available at local stores.

According to Valenica Williams, Executive Director of the Wilson-Gray YMCA Youth and Family Center, “This is our way of providing resources in what we consider a neighborhood of a food desert: lack of affordable, fresh, healthy options for our families. So with our partnership with UConn’s Convergence Institute, we are able to provide fresh produce and an educational resource piece where we teach from seed to the table how to create a healthier lifestyle.”

In 2018, The Connecticut Convergence Institute partnered with the Aetna Foundation to create a community engagement partnership, entitled: “The Connecticut Community Health Science Initiative”, with the goal being to improve the quality of life for those who are underserved in our state.  Under this initiative, the Institute created its landmark healthy lifestyle community program, JUMP, or Just Us Moving and Just Us Making Produce. The JUMP Program employs an experiential learning model that gets community members involved in a meaningful way. JUMP not only teaches individuals the importance of balanced eating, but it also stresses the importance of an active lifestyle while fostering the idea that health can be achieved at any size.

The JUMP-YMCA programming is the fourth community partnership established in the Hartford area. Last year, gardens were created at the Urban League of Greater Hartford, as well as the Parkville Senior Center, and Parkville Elementary school. The JUMP Program hopes to continue to expand with new partnerships with other Hartford based community organizations. If you are interested in bringing the JUMP Program to your organization, contact Karishma Pinto at kapinto@uchc.edu.

Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering Fellow in Health Disparities Elimination and Community Action

July 19, 2021

Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering

Fellow in Health Disparities Elimination and Community Action

Postdoctoral Fellow position in Health Disparities

Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering at the University of Connecticut is seeks to hire a full time, Postdoctoral Research Fellow position in the CT Convergence Institute.

The Health Disparities Fellow will work closely with the Chief Executive Officer and Assistant Director of the Connecticut Convergence Institute on Health Disparities related initiatives and will contribute to research and community engagement initiatives associated with the Connecticut Convergence Institute Health Disparities Core Projects. In this capacity, the fellow will work on a new National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine Roundtable on Black Men and Black Women in Medicine, Engineering and Science.  The fellow will be engaged part time to work with the development of Perspective papers and surveys related to issues facing Black Men and Black Women in Medicine, Engineering and Science.  The Fellow will also work with members of the Roundtable on formulation of follow on projects from ideas generated from the Roundtable.  In addition, the Fellow will work on community health disparities projects funded by an Aetna Foundation Community Partnership Grant to the Connecticut Convergence Institute. The Fellow will also serve on the editorial board of the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, published by Springer Nature and having its home at the Connecticut Convergence Institute at UCONN.

The successful candidate must hold a terminal professional degree (e.g. Ph.D. M.D., and/or M.P.H.) and have demonstrated potential for success based on scholarly record and demonstrated interest in health disparities, and have the ability to work in collaboration with clinical, translational and/or basic scientists.

A curriculum vitae and a cover letter (in pdf files) and questions regarding this search should be directed to Dr. Lakshmi Nair, Associate Director of the Connecticut Convergence Institute at nair@uchc.edu.

New T32 Doctoral Training Program in Regenerative Engineering

July 1, 2021

Application Open for New T32 Doctoral Training Program in Regenerative Engineering

The Connecticut Convergence Institute has been awarded the T32 Program Grant Regenerative Engineering of Musculoskeletal Tissues: A Convergence Doctoral Training Program by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS, AR079114). This T32 Program aims to educate, support and enhance the training of individuals dedicated to careers as independent translational and basic scientists in regenerative engineering. The program offers inter-disciplinary research training at UConn Health and UConn Storrs combining the fields of biomedical science and engineering.

OVERVIEW

Trainees will be selected from current UConn graduate students at UConn Health and UConn Storrs who have completed their first year of graduate studies. The T32 Program will offer trainees a broad level of expertise in research and instruction based on the research and educational experiences of the biomedical and engineering faculty who serve as preceptors. Trainees will become experts in regenerative engineering and its foundations to work towards the alleviation of human disease and musculoskeletal injuries by means of tissue regeneration. The Program strengths include its interdisciplinary and collaborative research in biomedical science and engineering, interactions with diverse trainees and faculty, training in contemporary research methodologies, and experienced preceptors.

ELIGIBILITY

All applicants must:

  • Be a citizen or Permanent Resident of the United States.
  • Be current UConn Health or UConn Storrs graduate student who has completed their first year of PhD studies.
  • Demonstrate high motivation and potential to become a basic, clinical or translational scientist with an interest in the field of Regeneration.
  • Have a high probability of fulfilling the educational goals of this program.

APPLICATION PROCESS [Submission Deadline: July 21, 2021]

  • Applicants will request an application package directly by email to Lana Angelo at langelo@uchc.edu.
  • Application Documents
    1. Predoctoral Biosketch: This is the key document to be used for this application. Follow the directions provided in the Applicant Predoctoral Biosketch Guidance Document. (Failure to complete all sections of the biosketch will result in disqualification.)
    2. Letter of Recommendation: The letter must be from a current UConn Health or UConn Storrs faculty member with whom the applicant has worked closely in their first year of doctoral program research. A recommendation from a lab rotation mentor, major advisor, or advisory committee member is suggested.
  • Applicants will submit their application package directly by email to Lana Angelo at langelo@uchc.edu.

 

For more information, contact Lana Angelo, Educational Programs Manager, at langelo@uchc.edu.

New Grant in Regenerative Engineering Awarded

June 23, 2021

New Grant to Train Future Scientists in Regenerative Engineering

Awarded to the Connecticut Convergence Institute

 

The novel doctoral T32 Program, Regenerative Engineering of Musculoskeletal Tissues: A Convergence Doctoral Training Program has been funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases NIAMS (T32 AR079114) for 5 years (2021-2026). The T32 Program goals are to educate, support and enhance the training of individuals dedicated to careers as independent clinical translational and basic scientists in regenerative engineering.

 

The program offers inter-disciplinary research training at the University of Connecticut (UConn) combining the fields of biomedical science and engineering. Faculty at the Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering who led this grant were Dr. Cato Laurencin (Principal Investigator), Dr. Gualberto Ruaño (Co-Investigator), and Dr. Lakshmi Nair (Co-Investigator).

 

Regenerative Engineering is defined as the Convergence of advanced materials science, stem cell science, physics, developmental biology and clinical translation for the regeneration of complex tissues and organ systems. Musculoskeletal regeneration is a field ripe for an inventive approach based on convergence to address challenging issues, advance technology and further fundamental knowledge for therapeutic applications. At the center of the Convergence approach is the understanding that new solutions in regeneration will take place through an ‘un-siloed’ approach.

 

The T32 Program will enroll 2 Ph.D. or dual degree students per year and support each for 2 years of Graduate School. The students will be drawn from graduate programs at UConn Health and UConn Storrs. The students will apply for T32 support at the end of Year 1 of their graduate programs to be supported for Years 2-3. The T32 Program will offer trainees a broad level of expertise in research and instruction based on the research, educational, and clinical experiences of the biomedical and engineering faculty who serve as preceptors. Trainees will become experts in regenerative engineering and its foundations to work towards the alleviation of human disease and musculoskeletal injuries by means of tissue regeneration.

 

The T32 Program has preceptorship commitments from 20 distinguished faculty across UConn departments (including Biomedical Engineering, Cell Biology, Computer Science, Genetics and Genome Sciences, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Oral Health, Orthopedic Surgery). This eminent group of investigators, who are well funded and published, will provide the primary research training and serve as role models for doctoral trainees.

 

Regenerative Engineering welcomes ideas and research across a gamut of disciplines. The Program strengths include its interdisciplinary and collaborative research in biomedical science and engineering, interactions with diverse trainees and faculty, training in contemporary research methodologies, and experienced preceptors. T32 Program administration through the Connecticut Convergence Institute will provide the experience to recruit diverse trainees, including minorities, and implement the curriculum.

 

Disorders of the musculoskeletal system with advancing age or due to injury and trauma are among the most debilitating to the human body and costly to the healthcare system with disability. Novel treatments will require convergence of molecular, cellular, and organismic research through interdisciplinary integration of biomedical science and engineering. This T32 Program is based on the unique concept of training Ph.D. candidates in the realm of scientific convergence applied to the field of regenerative engineering to enable fundamental and translational discoveries

Regrowing Amputated Limbs Is Getting Closer to Medical Reality

June 3, 2021

Dr. Laurencin was recently featured in Leaps Magazine where he spoke about The Hartford Engineering A Limb (HEAL) project aiming to regenerate/grow an entire human limb by 2030.

 

As a surgeon-scientist and pioneer in the field of regenerative engineering, Dr. Laurencin’s laboratory research successes already include the growth of bone and knee ligaments. HEAL hopes to help wounded warriors as well as others who have lost limbs or experienced nerve damage. Such as those with amputations or even children born with missing or impaired limbs. Laurencin’s international grand research challenge of his Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering at UConn Health is a collaboration with top regenerative engineers at UConn, The University of California Irvine, professors at Harvard University, Columbia University, and Sastra University in India. The HEAL project is further supported by the work of dedicated multidisciplinary teams of research fellows, scientists and clinicians. The project is supported by Laurencin’s large grants from the NIH’s Pioneer Award and the National Science Foundation for Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation. “The HEAL Project is a transformative moment for science and medicine,” says Laurencin about the first international effort ever for knee and limb engineering.

 

Read the full story here: Regrowing Limbs is Getting Closer to Medical Medical Reality