Foundations Agree to Partnership in Support of Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering at UConn

The Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) and the UConn Foundation have entered into a new partnership to support The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering at the University of Connecticut.

Regenerative engineering is a field pioneered by Cato T. Laurencin, MD, PhD, the Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Chair in Academic Medicine and University Professor at UConn.

Regenerative engineering, as defined by Dr. Laurencin, is the convergence of advanced materials science, stem cell science, physics, developmental biology, and clinical translation, for the regeneration of complex tissues and organ systems.

The groundbreaking work of Dr. Laurencin includes the launch of the Hartford Engineering a Limb (HEAL) Project aimed at regenerating whole limbs. Musculoskeletal technologies developed by Dr. Laurencin earned him the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, America’s highest honor for technological achievement, given in ceremonies at the White House. Dr. Laurencin is the 2023 Inventor of the Year, named by the Intellectual Property Owner’s Education Foundation.

As part of the collaboration, the OREF will work to grow awareness of and support for The Cato T. Laurencin Institute as well as provide a mechanism for donors to give through the OREF website. OREF, based in Illinois, strives to improve clinical care and patient outcomes by advancing innovative research, developing new investigators, and uniting the orthopaedic community in promoting musculoskeletal health.

“OREF is committed to improving care and outcomes for all patients, including those impacted by musculoskeletal injuries, illness or congenital issues affecting the limbs,” noted OREF President Thomas P. Sculco, MD. “We are delighted to partner with Dr. Laurencin and The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering to support his important and breakthrough work.”

Dr. Laurencin, the Chief Executive Officer of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, stated, “the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation and The Cato T. Laurencin Institute share a vision of producing leading edge research that ultimately translates to leading edge care of our patients.”

Dr. Laurencin is the first surgeon elected to the four national academies: the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Inventors.

 In orthopaedic surgery, Dr. Laurencin is the first to receive the American Orthopaedic Association’s Distinguished Contributions to Orthopaedics Award, the Nicholas Andry Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons, the Kappa Delta Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the Marshall R. Urist Award from the Orthopaedic Research Society. Funds raised through this partnership will support the core programs of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute.