The Society for Biomaterials, a professional society that promotes advances in biomedical materials research and development, has named Professor Molly Shoichet (ChemE, IBBME) the recipient of this year’s Clemson Award for Contributions to Literature.

This award recognizes significant contributions to the literature on the science or technology of biomaterials. Professor Shoichet has published more than 400 papers, patents and abstracts and has given more than 250 lectures worldwide.

Her research currently focuses regenerative medicine, drug delivery and tissue engineering strategies to overcome diseases in the brain and after breast cancer. Her work brings together polymer science with neuroscience and with cancer biology. Shoichet and her team are designing innovative strategies to overcome devastating diseases such as stroke, spinal cord injury, blindness and breast cancer.

Professor Shoichet’s research has attracted international attention and collaboration with industry and academia. She has won numerous awards and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2008, and in 2011 she was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and appointed to the Order of Ontario.

“In addition to her outstanding research contributions, Molly is an effective lecturer and has an ability to communicate complex ideas in an inspiring, valuable and refreshing manner,” said University Professor Michael Sefton (ChemE, IBBME), who nominated Shoichet for the award. “Molly is recognized as a leader in neural tissue engineering, and I was pleased to nominate her for a Clemson Award.”

Professor Shoichet acts as co-Lead for IBBME’s research theme of Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine and was recently appointed the Institute’s Associate Director, Research.