University News

January 12, 2026 | Jon D'Arpino

Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin Awarded Pariser Global Lectureship for Innovation in Physical Sciences

UConn's Laurencin was the 2025 Pariser Global Lecturer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Sir Cato T. Laurencin, Pariser Lecturer

Dr. Richard L. Watkins, Sigma Xi Director of Membership and Chapter Services and Sir Cato T. Laurencin at the Pariser Global Lecture.

Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin, MD, Ph.D., K.C.S.L., was the 2025 Pariser Global Lecturer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill .

Hosted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapter of Sigma Xi Society, the Pariser Global Lectureship recognizes researchers worldwide for their capacity to bridge the gap between basic and applied research for the betterment of humanity.

“We had the honor of welcoming Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin—both a knight and one of the world’s most renowned engineer-physician-scientists—to Chapel Hill for the 2025 Pariser Global Lecture,” said Louise Pariser. “Dr. Laurencin has made a huge impact here and in the scientific community.”

Laurencin is internationally recognized as the founder of the field of Regenerative Engineering, pioneering the convergence of materials science, stem cell biology, and clinical translation for the regeneration of tissues and organ systems. His groundbreaking work earned him the title “Father of Regenerative Engineering” and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Foundation created The Cato T. Laurencin Regenerative Engineering Founder’s Award in his honor.

Laurencin is the first surgeon in history elected to all four major U.S. national academies. He is an elected member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine, as well as an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. He is also an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Sir Cato T. Laurencin
UConn’s Sir Cato T. Laurencin.

At the University of Connecticut, Laurencin serves as University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the UConn School of Medicine. He also holds professorships in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. Additionally, he serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering at UConn, which was created and named in his honor.

Laurencin’s achievements include the Priestley Medal, the highest honor of the American Chemical Society, and in the Fall of 2025, he delivered the Kavli Endowed Distinguished Lecture at the American Chemical Society Meeting. He has received the highest award for the following: Founder’s Award from the Society for Biomaterials, the Founder’s Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Von Hippel Award from the Materials Research Society, and the James Bailey Award from the Society for Biological Engineering. He is also a recipient of 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.

In recognition of his global contributions, Laurencin was bestowed Knight Commander of the Order of St. Lucia, conferred under the auspices of King Charles III through the Governor General of St. Lucia.