The University of Akron is hosting one of the world's renowned leaders in biomedicine on Monday, Sept. 8.
Dr. Robert Langer, named by Forbes magazine as
one of 15 innovators worldwide expected to "reinvent the future" and by Discover
magazine as one of the 20 most important experts in biotechnology, will present
"Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering" to a regional audience of the top
scientists, academics and researchers in the fields of biotechnology and
biomedicine at 5:30 p.m. in UA's Goodyear Polymer Center Auditorium. The public
is invited to attend at no charge.
During his lecture, Langer will present current polymer research that led to
the development of medical products used to treat diseases. He will discuss
polymer engineering as it applies to creating synthetic tissues such as skin,
cartilage and spinal cords, and will explain developments in polymer synthesis
and how novel polymers could lead to new, minimally invasive surgical devices.
Named one of the 100 most important people
Langer, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is one of
only 13 Institute Professors, the highest honor awarded to an MIT faculty
member, and is globally ranked as a leading biomedical researcher. He earned a
doctorate in chemical engineering from MIT and received honorary doctorates
from Yale University, Pennsylvania State University, Northwestern University as
well as other prestigious institutions worldwide.
Parade magazine selected Langer as one of six "heroes whose research might save
your life" in 2004, and in 2001 Time/CNN named Langer one of the 100 most
important people in America and one of the top 18 professionals in science or
medicine in America.
Among his more than 160 awards, Langer received the Max Planck Research Award, the Prince of Asturias Award for Technical and Scientific Research and the Millennium Prize for his development of intelligent drug delivery. In 2006, he was recognized with the United States National Medal of Science and the Charles Stark Draper Prize, considered equivalent to the Nobel Prize for engineers. Langer is the only engineer honored with the Gairdner Foundation International Award and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.
Emerging leader in biomedical research
"The University of Akron's emergence as a leader in biomedical research
and technology is providing significant contributions to medical advancement,"
says Dr. George R. Newkome, UA's vice president for research and dean of the
Graduate School. "We welcome the opportunity to facilitate discussions between
biomedical experts in our academic community and others of international
prominence such as Dr. Langer."
Presented by the UA Institute of Polymer Science through the College of Polymer
Science and Polymer Engineering, this Biomedical Alliance Lecture is part of
the University Alliances Series that address key academic, research and
community interests in the greater Akron region, all of which are aligned with
the core directions of The University of Akron. For more information about the
upcoming program, e-mail jclark2@uakron.edu or
reneker@uakron.edu.