Cato T. Laurencin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cato Thomas Laurencin
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| Born | January 15, 1959 United States
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| Alma mater | Princeton University (BSE) Harvard University (MD) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (PhD) |
| Awards | National Academy of Sciences (2021) National Academy of Engineering (2021) Royal Academy of Engineering (2022) National Academy of Inventors National Academy of Medicine (2021) Academician, Chinese Academy of Engineering (2016) National Medal of Technology and Innovation (2021) Spingarn Medal (2021) Hoover Medal (2021) Priestley Medal (2023) The Cato T. Laurencin Scholars Award (2020) Indian Academy of Sciences Cato T. Laurencin Founder's Award (2023) International Fellow, UK Royal Academy of Engineering (2022) Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences (2022) Fellow, Academia Europaea (2022) American Orthopaedic Association Distinguished Contribution to Orthopaedic Surgery Award(2022) Named to Connecticut's Top Doctors (2022) American Orthopaedic Association Hall of Fame(2022) Fellow, European Academy of Sciences and Techniques of Senegal, Marshall Urist Award, Orthopaedic Research Society(2022) Robert A. Pritzker Distinguished Lectureship Award, Biomedical Engineering Society(2022) Diversity Award, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (2022) The Order of St. Lucia (St. Lucia Honor of Medal - Gold)(2022) Named to Top Most Influential Black Scholars in last 30 years (engineering), Academic Influence(2022) Fellow, National Academy of Sciences (2022) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Surgeon, professor, engineer, scientist |
| Institutions | University of Connecticut, University of Virginia |
| Notable students | Helen H. Lu |
Sir Cato Thomas Laurencin is an American engineer, doctor, and scientist. He was born on January 15, 1959. He is known for being a University Professor at the University of Connecticut. This is a very special title, held by only a few people in the university's history.
Sir Laurencin is the chief executive officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering. He is seen as the person who started the field of Regenerative Engineering. This field focuses on growing new tissues and organs to replace damaged ones. He leads a journal and a society dedicated to this exciting area of science.
He is a member of four important groups in the United States: the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Inventors. He is the first surgeon ever to be chosen for all four of these groups. He also received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, which is America's highest award for new technology. This award was given to him by President Barack Obama at the White House.
Sir Cato T. Laurencin was also honored as a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Lucia. This special title was given to him by the Governor General of St. Lucia, on behalf of King Charles III, for his important work that helped the country.
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About Sir Cato Laurencin
Sir Cato Laurencin grew up in North Philadelphia. He went to Central High School. He then studied chemical engineering at Princeton University. Later, he earned his medical degree (M.D.) from Harvard Medical School. At the same time, he earned his Ph.D. in biochemical engineering from MIT. Sir Laurencin is married and has three children.
Amazing Work in Science and Medicine
Sir Cato Laurencin is a world leader in many areas. These include biomaterials (materials used in the body), nanotechnology (working with tiny materials), stem cell science, and drug delivery systems. He is especially famous for creating the field of Regenerative Engineering.
Regenerative Engineering: Growing New Body Parts
Sir Laurencin's work has greatly helped human health. He was one of the first to use nanotechnology to help bones and muscles grow back. He also helped create new ways to treat bone problems. He and his team were the first to make tiny fibers (nanofibers) to help tissues regenerate. He also developed special materials that combine polymers and ceramics to help bones heal. These ideas have led to new products that are now used to repair bones.
Healing Soft Tissues
Sir Laurencin has also worked on healing soft tissues, like ligaments and tendons. He invented the Laurencin-Cooper ligament (LC ligament). This special ligament helps the ACL (a knee ligament) grow back. He also designed grafts to repair and regenerate shoulder rotator cuff tendons. In 2012, National Geographic magazine called the LC Ligament one of its "100 Scientific Discoveries that Changed the World."
He has written over 500 scientific papers and holds many patents. This means his work is often used and referenced by other scientists.
Top Awards and Honors
Sir Laurencin has received many important awards for his groundbreaking research. He received the National Institutes of Health NIH Director's Pioneer Grant Award. This is one of the highest awards for new and breakthrough research. He also received the National Science Foundation NSF Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation Grant Award.
He is a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He is also a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, the World Academy of Sciences, and the Indian National Academy of Sciences. In 2021, he was chosen as a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
Some of his other notable awards include:
- 2025 - Lifetime Achievement Award, Bioactive Materials
- 2025 - Dickson Prize in Medicine, University of Pittsburgh
- 2024 - Gold Key Award - Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society
- 2024 - Inductee - Plastics Hall of Fame
- 2023 - Inventor of the Year award from the Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation (IPOEF)
- 2022 - International Fellow, UK Royal Academy of Engineering
- 2022 - Fellow, Academia Europaea
- 2021 - Recipient, Hoover Medal
- 2021 - Recipient, Spingarn Medal, NAACP
- 2019 - Recipient, UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences
- 2019 - Recipient, Walsh McDermott Award, National Academy of Medicine
- 2019 - Recipient, Simon Ramo Founders Award, National Academy of Engineering
- 2016 - Laureate, National Medal of Technology and Innovation
- 2014 - NIH Director's Pioneer Award
Contributions to Engineering
Sir Laurencin is a professor of chemical and materials science engineering at the University of Connecticut.
Chemical Engineering Achievements
He was named one of the 100 Engineers of the Modern Era by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. This was for his pioneering work on polymer-ceramic systems used in the body. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. He also founded and leads the Regenerative Engineering Society. He is the Editor-in-Chief of a journal called Regenerative Engineering and Translational Medicine.
Materials Science and Engineering Discoveries
In materials science, he is a Fellow of the Materials Research Society. His work on engineered materials for soft tissue regeneration was featured in National Geographic magazine. This was in their "100 Scientific Discoveries that Changed the World" edition. In 2020, he received the Von Hippel Award from the Materials Research Society.
Biomedical Engineering Innovations
Sir Laurencin is also a professor of Biomedical Engineering. His work was honored at the White House when he received the Presidential Faculty Fellow Award from President Bill Clinton. In 2007, Scientific American magazine recognized his work as one of the "50 Greatest Achievements in Science." In 2011, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his work in biomaterials, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.
He received the Pierre Galletti Award in 2009, which is the highest honor in medical and biological engineering. He also received the Connecticut Medal of Technology.
Work in Medicine
Sir Laurencin is a distinguished professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Connecticut. He trained at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Surgery Program. He was also the Chief Resident in Orthopaedic Surgery at Beth Israel Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He has served as a vice president and dean at the University of Connecticut. Before that, he was a professor and chief orthopaedic surgeon at the University of Virginia Health System.
He is a certified surgeon for shoulders and knees. He has been named one of "America's Leading Physicians" by Black Enterprise magazine. He has also worked as a ringside boxing physician and for the USA Boxing men's elite team. He is currently the Commissioner of Boxing for the state of Connecticut. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons. He is the only living orthopaedic surgeon elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Working for Fairness and Justice
Sir Laurencin is very active in mentoring, especially helping students from groups that are not often represented in science. In 2020, he received the Herbert W. Nickens Award for his important work in social justice and fairness.
He has also received the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mentor Award. He received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math and Engineering Mentoring at the White House. A special travel fellowship was created in his honor by the Society for Biomaterials. This fellowship helps minority students who are doing research.
Sir Laurencin is an expert in public health, especially when it comes to the health of ethnic minority groups. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. This is a leading journal in this field. He has written important papers, including one of the first to show how many COVID-19 cases and deaths were among Black people. He has also led discussions at the National Academy of Sciences about Black men and women in science and engineering.
He helped start the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute. This institute works to fix health differences between different racial groups. The institute created the Cato T. Laurencin Lifetime Achievement Award in his honor.
See also
In Spanish: Cato T. Laurencin para niños
