Dr. Cato Laurencin's work is so groundbreaking that he had to coin his own term just to describe what he does.
Laurencin brings a diverse background as both an orthopedic surgeon and an engineer, in more than one field, to his line of work he calls "regenerative engineering," where plastics play a part. And for his efforts, Laurencin is being inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame this year.
Laurencin, who declined to be interviewed for this story, combines disciplines, while using polymers as a part of the mix, to help the body heal itself.
The doctor described his work this way in a TED Talk available online though the Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering at the University of Connecticut: "The application of biological, chemical and engineering principles toward the repair, restoration or regeneration of living tissues using biomaterials, cells and factors along or in combination."
The idea is that polymeric fibers, oriented a specific way, can encourage cells to grow in a certain direction to promote regeneration of a body part such as a ligament, for example.
"It really combines elements of tissue engineering, stem cell science, advanced material science," Laurencin said in the TED Talk. "We believe this is the combination of the future."
He has received honors in chemistry, materials science, medical and biological engineering, and surgery. Now he can add membership into the Plastics Hall of Fame to his resume.
"One of the things I've always taught is always think of the end at the beginning and to think big," he said in 2023 when receiving the Inventor of the Year award from the Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation.
"Regenerative engineering is a field that I started. We've actually created engineered tissues and engineered technologies for pretty much every tissue of the musculoskeletal system. We have technologies and intellectual property in the area of bone and bone regeneration, in soft tissue, in soft tissue regeneration," Laurencin said.
Laurencin is a professor of orthopedic surgery, chemical engineering, and materials science and engineering at University of Connecticut. And if that's not enough, he also is a professor of biomedical engineering and serves as CEO of the Connecticut Convergence Institute for Translation in Regenerative Engineering at the university.
Additionally, he serves as director of the school's Center for Biomedical, Biological, Physical and Engineering Sciences.
"One of my favorite sayings is that to stumble is not to fall, but to walk faster. And that means that when one finds an obstacle that one stumbles over that can actually lead to new things and lead to moving forward in a better way," Laurencin said in a video produced when he was named Inventor of the Year in 2023.
This is how the Plastics Hall of Fame described Laurencin in announcing his inclusion in the class of 2024.
"Dr. Laurencin is the leading polymeric materials chemist and scientist applying work to biology. Laurencin's seminal studies have included the conceptualization and development of polymeric nanofiber technology for tissue regeneration, the design, synthesis, fabrication and creation of composites of polymers and ceramics for musculoskeletal repair and regeneration," the hall said.
He also has been at the center of "the development of polyphosphazenes for biomedical uses, the design and use of polymer fiber matrices for the regeneration of soft biological tissues, and the development of polymer-allograft systems for tissue repair and regeneration," the hall said.
"Dr. Laurencin pioneered the development of polymer and polymer-ceramic systems for musculoskeletal use," the hall said. "He has inspired a generation of polymer chemistry-based products for musculoskeletal repair."
"Dr. Laurencin is a towering figure in science and technology. Grounded in fundamental engineering and materials science, he has developed technologies now widespread on the market," said Kazem Kazerounian, dean of engineering and a professor at the University of Connecticut, in a letter of recommendation to the hall.
"His versatile use of biomaterials in this area has resulted in an array of products that have helped improve the human condition. Nominating Dr. Laurencin to the Plastics Hall of Fame is particularly compelling in that it will at the same time recognize the extraordinary contributions of Black Americans to the health, well-being and quality of life of America," he wrote.
Guillermo Ameer is a professor of biomedical engineering and surgery at Northwestern University and director for that school's Center for Advanced Regenerative Engineering. He also wrote in support of Laurencin's inclusion in the hall.
Ameer called Laurencin "a gifted, innovative and versatile engineer, surgeon and leader whose work has included seminal discoveries in a number of areas involving plastics, nanotechnology, biomedical engineering and surgery."
"He has had prolific and influential contributions to biomaterials science and medicine, enhancing our basic understanding and applications of plastics, while working to mitigate human suffering," Ameer wrote.