Alsberg wins TERMIS-AM 2022 Senior Scientist Award

By David Brazy

Richard and Loan Hill Chair Eben Alsberg has received the prestigious 2022 Senior Scientist Award from the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society for his work on advancing regenerative medicine.

The award is given out to a researcher who has made significant contributions in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine that are well recognized throughout the research community. The international society was founded in 2005 to advance tissue engineering and regenerative medicine across the globe with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes through this research.

Alsberg’s ASCENT Lab has been focused on strategies and technologies to engineer functional tissue for the last 17 years.

“A large portion of the research in my lab focuses on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, so my interests are well aligned with TERMIS and its mission,” Alsberg said. “We are trying to develop innovative microenvironments, biomaterials and strategies to regulate cell behavior and enhance the rate and quality of engineered tissue growth.”

As an example, his group has recently published research on bioprinting 4D constructs, which can change shape over time in response to stimuli and provide opportunities for scientists to better mimic the shape changes that occur during the development of natural tissues and fabricate complex structures. His lab’s research into scaffold-free approaches of growing tissue in the lab in a way that mimics natural growth and healing processes is also expected to significantly impact the treatment of patients with loss of tissue function.

Alsberg has published more than 145 peer-reviewed papers and his work has been cited more than 13,500 times.

He was presented with the award at the 2022 TERMIS-AM conference in Toronto from July 10-13.

“When I found out I was receiving this year’s Senior Scientist Award, I was excited and grateful that those in my field wanted to recognize my lab’s contributions,” Alsberg said. “I’m really thankful for all the support and help that I have received from my lab members, collaborators, colleagues, mentors, family and friends.”