Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D., K.C.S.L., is the University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Connecticut. He is Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the school. He serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering an Institute created and named in his honor.

Dr. Laurencin earned a B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University and his M.D., Magna Cum Laude, from the Harvard Medical School where he received the Robinson Award for Surgery. He earned his Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering/Biotechnology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he was named a Hugh Hampton Young Fellow.

Dr. Laurencin is the founder and pioneer of the field of Regenerative Engineering. He is an expert in biomaterials science, stem cell technology, and nanotechnology and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Foundation created the Cato T. Laurencin Founder’s Award in Regenerative Engineering in his honor.  He received the Priestley Medal (highest award) from the American Chemical Society. He received the Founder’s Award (highest award) from the Society for Biomaterials, the Founder’s Award (highest award) from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Von Hippel Award (highest award) from the Materials Research Society, and the James Bailey Award (highest award) from the Society for Biological Engineering. He received the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, NIH’s highest and most prestigious research award, for his field of Regenerative Engineering and the National Science Foundation’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation Grant Award. Dr. Laurencin is the Editor-in-Chief of Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine, published by Springer Nature, and is the Founder of the Regenerative Engineering Society. He is a Fellow of the American Chemical Society, a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, a Fellow of the Biomedical Engineering Society, a Fellow of the Materials Research Society, and an AAAS Fellow. The American Association for the Advancement of Science awarded Dr. Laurencin the Philip Hauge Abelson Prize given ‘for signal contributions to the advancement of science in the United States’.

Dr. Laurencin is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, and an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. He is the first surgeon in the world to be elected to all four of these academies. He is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Active internationally, he is an elected fellow of the Indian National Academy of Sciences, the Indian National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences, India, the African Academy of Sciences, the Senegalese Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Benin Academy of Sciences, the European Academy of Sciences, the Academia Europaea, the Royal Academy of Engineering, The World Academy of Sciences, and he  is an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Dr. Laurencin is the recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, America’s highest honor for technological achievement, awarded by President Barack Obama in ceremonies at the White House. He is the first individual in history to receive one of the oldest/highest awards of the National Academy of Medicine (the Walsh McDermott Medal) and the oldest/highest award of the National Academy of Engineering (the Simon Ramo Founder’s Award). He will receive the Dickson Prize in Medicine this year. Many of the Dickson Prize awardees have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize.

Sir Cato T. Laurencin was bestowed Knight Commander of the Order of St. Lucia, under the auspices of King Charles III of England by the General Governor of Lucia for his exceptional and outstanding service of national importance to Saint Lucia.