Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin of UConn Honored by the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
The 2025 President’s Circle Reception was part of the annual meeting and hosted by AIMBE President, Lola Eniola-Adefeso, Ph.D. The event brought together AIMBE Fellows and supporters to recognize those who have gone above and beyond in advancing AIMBE’s mission of advocacy for medical and biological engineering.
Each year, a leader from AIMBE, or the broader medical and biological engineering community, is invited to serve as the designated honored guest. Dr. Cato T. Laurencin of UConn was invited because of his exceptional leadership in biomedical engineering, and his pioneering work in regenerative engineering. His presence highlighted the importance of continued advocacy and engagement at the highest levels of science and policy.
AIMBE is the authoritative voice and advocate for the value of medical and biological engineering to society.
Laurencin is the University Professor at UConn and the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn School of Medicine, professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Connecticut. He is the CEO of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, a cross-university institute created and named in his honor at UConn.
Laurencin is a fellow of AIMBE and previously served on its board of directors. He served as chair of the College of Fellows for AIMBE. He received the Pierre Galletti Award, the highest honor of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. More recently, Laurencin received the Professional Impact Award for Leadership from AIMBE recognizing his work as the founder of the field of Regenerative Engineering.
In 2025, he has received the Paul Terasaki Innovation Award from the Paul Terasaki Foundation, and the Bioactive Materials Lifetime Achievement 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.
Laurencin was bestowed Knight Commander of the Order of St. Lucia, under the auspices of King Charles III of England by the Governor General of Saint Lucia. He is recognized as the leading international figure in polymeric biomaterials chemistry and engineering who has made extraordinary scientific contributions and with profound contributions to improving human health.
Latest UConn Today
- UConn John Dempsey Hospital Nationally Recognized for Excellence in Stroke and Heart Attack CareUConn John Dempsey Hospital has once again been nationally recognized for delivering high-quality, lifesaving care—earning three major 2025 awards from the American Heart Association.
- UConn’s Journalism Major Offers Pathways to Legal CareersThrough courses like Media Law and Investigative Reporting, journalism students get early exposure to the legal world — inspiring some alumni to pursue law school and careers in public service.
- For Restoring Biodiversity Look for Help from the Humble, World-building Muskrat'These important aquatic rodents transform habitats in many ways that some communities, like the Native Americans, have appreciated for 1000s of years, and Western science is just now discovering that importance'
- World-First Gene Editing Trial for Rare Genetic Disease at UConn HealthUConn Health and Connecticut Children’s have made history by dosing the first patient in a clinical trial using gene editing to treat glycogen storage disease type 1a (GSD1a)
- School of Nursing Class of 2029 Student Profiles: Abigail Griffiths and Katherine WojtasMeet two out-of-state students who share a passion for nursing
- More Than Simple Sonification: Next Phase of ‘Harmony of Nature’ Seeks to Make Music'One of our goals is to be able to reach the nonscientist with scientific concepts and communicate those, and music is … [a] medium where it’s incredibly accessible to people'
