Community Impact University News

October 20, 2022 | Lauren Woods - Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine

UConn’s Dr. Cato T. Laurencin Provides Opening Remarks at the First U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium

The historic inaugural symposium was held on October 12 –14 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Dr. Cato T. Laurencin (fourth in first row) represented UConn and the U.S. at the First U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium in Kenya Oct. 12-14.

In Kenya UConn’s Dr. Cato T. Laurencin (left) with President Felix Dakora of the African Academy of Sciences (Photo courtesy of CICATS).

Last week Professor Dr. Cato T. Laurencin had the honor of opening the First U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium in Nairobi, Kenya.

Laurencin served as a distinguished member of the oversight committee for the symposium and represented the United States at the meeting.

“This is a project I have been committed to for a number of years and it is wonderful to see this occur. I want to thank and congratulate Dr. Felix Dakora  (African Academy of Sciences) and Dr. John Hildebrand (National Academy of Sciences) for their leadership,”  stated Laurencin.

This inaugural symposium was held on October 12 – 14, and was a partnership between The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and the African Academy of Sciences (AAS).

The U.S.-Africa program brought together outstanding scientists, engineers, and medical professionals from the U.S. and the member countries of the African Union for a series of symposia to discuss exciting advances and opportunities in their fields.  The goal of the meeting was to enhance the scientific exchange and dialogue among young researchers in African countries and the U.S., including the African science diaspora, and through this interaction, will facilitate research collaboration within and beyond the region.

Laurencin is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. He is the first surgeon in history to be elected to all three of these academies. A world leader in science, Laurencin is an elected Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences, a fellow of the Senegalese Academy of Sciences and Technology and a fellow of the Benin Academy of Science and Arts on the continent of Africa.

Laurencin serves as the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and the CEO of The Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering at UConn Health. He is the University Professor on the UConn Health and Storrs campuses.