American College of Surgeons awarded Dr. Anthony Atala, WFIRM

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Dr Anthony Atala in a research lab

Without a doubt one of the most impactful areas of research and development happening today in the Innovation Quarter is that of regenerative medicine. And Dr. Anthony Atala, leader of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, is leading the way.

That pioneering work is now being recognized by the American College of Surgeons, who awarded Dr. Atala with their 2022 Jacobson Innovation Award, given annually to living surgeons who are innovators of a new development or technique in any field of surgery.

Regenerative medicine is quickly becoming one of the hottest and most impactful areas of research and development in Winston-Salem. Under Dr. Atala’s leadership, several regenerative medicine companies have announced collaborative partnerships with WFIRM like MiMedx or even taken up shop in the Innovation Quarter, including Axiom Space just last month.

A research scientists from WFIRM works to grow an ear using regenerative medicine techniques.
A WFIRM researcher working on 3D printed ear in the laboratory

Dr. Anthony Atala’s work was listed twice as Time Magazine’s Top 10 medical breakthroughs of the year, and once as one of 5 discoveries that will change the future of organ transplants. He was named by Scientific American as one of the world’s most influential people in biotechnology, by U.S. News & World Report as one of 14 Pioneers of Medical Progress in the 21st Century, by Life Sciences Intellectual Property Review as one of the top key influencers in the life sciences intellectual property arena, and by Nature Biotechnology as one of the top 10 translational researchers in the world.  

Fifteen applications of technologies developed in Dr. Atala’s laboratory have been used clinically. He is editor of 25 books and three journals. Dr. Atala has published over 800 journal articles, and has received over 250 national and international patents.  Dr. Atala was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, to the National Academy of Inventors as a Charter Fellow, and to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

For more about this prestigious award, visit the American College of Surgeons website.

Cover of eBook: Why the Future of Regenerative Medicine is in Winston-Salem

The Future of Regenerative Medicine Is in Winston-Salem

Winston-Salem’s Innovation Quarter represents the convergence of ideas, research, resources and expertise. The resulting innovation ecosystem fosters developments in regenerative medicine that are transforming clinical treatments and therapies.