Organized in partnership by the Brazilian Academy of Sciences (Academia Brasileira de Ciências) and TWAS, the event’s theme, “Building a Sustainable Future: The Role of Science, Technology, and Innovation for Global Development” perfectly complemented Laurencin’s international recognition for his groundbreaking work in orthopaedic surgery, and his contributions to the field of musculoskeletal repair and regeneration.
The conference explored how science, technology, and innovation (STI) can help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It addressed both the challenges and opportunities in leveraging STI for sustainable development, while highlighting scientific excellence in the developing world and strengthening global collaboration. TWAS supports sustainable prosperity through research, education, policy and diplomacy.
Laurencin is one of TWAS’s most distinguished scientists and Fellows. In receiving the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP, he was recognized as the world’s foremost engineer-physician-scientist. He received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Barack Obama and has been an active Fellow of TWAS for 20 years. Laurencin has been a tireless advocate, working to address health inequities worldwide. In Africa, he is a member of the African Academy of Science and the academies of Senegal and Benin. He was the American representative to an international effort on Harnessing Science in Africa, which worked with national academies throughout the continent to foster coordinated science initiatives. He is the American representative to the Prix Galien Africa, which recognizes the finest work in pharmaceuticals, biologics and devices developed in Africa. Laurencin was on the original program committee and continues to lecture and provide insight at the annual meeting in Dakar, Senegal. Laurencin also serves on the Oversight Committee group for the U.S. Africa Frontiers of Science Engineering and Medicine meeting.
Laurencin has been active in collaborating with universities throughout India, with collaborative research projects with the US India Forum and individual keynote lectures at universities. He is a member of the Indian Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, India, and the Indian National Academy of Engineering.
Laurencin is the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, a journal dedicated to addressing inequities in health throughout the world, and especially the Global South. He recently led the inaugural World Congress on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and its second annual convening.
Laurencin is internationally renowned as the founder of the field of Regenerative Engineering, a field he established through groundbreaking work integrated materials science, stem cell biology, and clinical translation to regenerate complex tissue organs. His foundational contributions have earned him the title “Father of Regenerative Engineering.” In his honor, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Foundation created the Cato T. Laurencin Founder’s Award in Regenerative Engineering
At the University of Connecticut, Laurencin serves as University Professor and Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Distinguished Endowed Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at 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, an Institute created and named in his honor.
