Professor Sir Cato T. Laurencin of the University of Connecticut had a papal audience with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on June 17, 2026. He was invited to the Vatican to discuss his work in Regenerative Engineering, the field he founded. Laurencin presented Pope Leo XIV with the Cato T. Laurencin Regenerative Engineering Founder’s Award Medal and discussed his latest discoveries in Regenerative Engineering.

Laurencin’s audience with the Pope touched upon a number of topics including the work of Black Inventors in shaping the world. He discussed the importance of mentorship and presented the Pope with his autobiography book entitled “Success is What You Leave Behind.”  Laurencin also met with leaders of the Pontifical Academy for Life and discussed the future of Regenerative Engineering and its potential to address healthcare challenges. The visit highlighted the international recognition of Regenerative Engineering and its role in improving human life through scientific Innovation, and Laurencin’s Regenerative Convergence approach.

Laurencin has made seminal contributions to tissue regeneration, biomaterials science, nanotechnology, stem cell science and biophysics. He founded Regenerative Engineering, a convergence-based discipline that integrates materials science, stem cell science, physics, developmental biology, and clinical medicine to regenerate tissues and organs and improve health.

He 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, and 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.

In receiving the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP, he was recognized as the world’s foremost engineer-physician-scientist. He has received many of the highest recognitions across science, engineering, and medicine, including the Priestley Medal, the highest honor of the American Chemical Society, the Simon Ramo Founders Award, the highest honor of the National Academy of Engineering, and the Dickson Prize in Medicine.

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

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.