The International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering (IUSBSE) has named Liisa Kuhn, PhD, a Fellow, Biomaterials Science and Engineering (FBSE). She is an associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, a shared department between the schools of dental medicine, medicine, and engineering, at the University of Connecticut.
This status, which is one of the highest honors in the field of biomaterials, is given to accomplished scientists who are recognized as leaders in the field, according to UConn. Fellows are nominated by existing Fellows and must have at least 10 years of contributions to the field of biomaterials science and engineering, among other rigorous requirements.
“I’m honored to receive this accolade for my research in bone tissue engineering, medical product standards writing, and for my 23 years of service to the Society for Biomaterials,” said Kuhn. “I joined the Society for Biomaterials (SFB) in 1997, and I was grateful for those early service and leadership opportunities that eventually grew into more significant roles culminating with me serving as the president of the Society for Biomaterials.”
The SFB is a multidisciplinary society of academic, healthcare, governmental, and business professionals dedicated to promoting advances in all aspects of biomaterial science, education, and professional standards. Kuhn served as elected president in 2017 and has served on nearly every SFB committee in various leadership positions. As a member of the IUSBSE, the SFB recognized Kuhn with her fellowship.
“This is a very well deserved recognition of Dr. Kuhn,” said Dr. Sangamesh Kumbar, associate professor of orthopedic surgery at UConn. “She is a very dynamic scientist and a leader in the biomaterials community. She has been a strong advocate for women engineers in the field and continues to contribute as a researcher, mentor, and teacher promoting STEM education and the biomaterials field as a whole. It is always a pleasure to work with her on scientific projects or education-related activities.”
In 2018, Kuhn was inducted into the College of Fellows in the American Institute for Medical and Biomedical Engineering for advancing the translation of bone biology to its application in regenerative medicine. She believes that her time spent abroad doing visiting professorships and organizing a summer school in France made her a prime candidate to receive the status of fellow at the international level through the IUSBSE.
Kuhn’s cutting-edge research in orthopedic biomaterials and drug delivery systems has been supported by several million dollars from prestigious funding sources for more than 20 years, UConn said. Her publications on bone mineral and mineralized scaffolds for tissue repair and drug delivery have been cited more than 4,000 times. She has shared her expertise through medical product standards writing for ASTM International and was recognized in 2014 with the Award of Merit and an accompanying honorary title of Fellow.
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