August 2015 CÚRAM Director, Professor Abhay Pandit awarded Fellowship (TERMIS)

Professor Abhay Pandit, Director of CÚRAM, the Centre for Research in Medical Devices at NUI Galway, is the first Ireland-based academic to be elected Fellow of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Group (TERMIS). The group (FTERM) was established in 2011 by the Governing Board of TERMIS and represents those who make significant contributions to the development and promotion of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

The award recognizes Professor Pandit’s formative role in shaping and forming the tissue engineering and regenerative medicine field and the Society and his contributions in helping lay the foundation for the conceptualization, discovery, development and now clinical translation of novel approaches for functional tissue replacement. He will be recognized during a special session at the 2015 TERMIS World Congress which will be held in Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday, September 10th.

Professor Pandit has established a critical mass of biomaterials expertise in Ireland. His research integrates material science and biological paradigms in developing solutions for chronic disease. He has developed next generation of biomaterials that have programmable degradation profiles and inbuilt gradients of physical and protective cues, which facilitates therapeutics to injury mechanisms at the molecular and cellular levels. These platforms have been developed for neural, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular clinical targets with numerous other targets currently under development.

Professor Pandit has received numerous awards and distinctions. He has also been inducted as an International Fellow in Biomaterials Science and Engineering by the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering, published more than 180 papers in peer-reviewed journals, filed numerous patent applications and has licensed four technologies to medical device companies. He has co-ordinated three EU grants to date and currently hosts researchers from 25 countries.

Commenting on the award Professor Pandit stated ‘I am extremely honoured to be elected Fellow to the FTERM group. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine is a key area of expertise at CÚRAM and we are perfectly placed to continue to encourage and train the next generation of researchers who will sustain and further advance the principles of this important discipline. I look forward to fostering new activities within TERMIS and continuing my involvement with the Society.’

Based at the National University of Ireland, Galway and backed by Science Foundation Ireland and Industry funding, CÚRAM works with industry and clinical partners to radically improve health outcomes for chronically ill patients through the development of the next generation of ‘smart’ implantable medical devices.

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