UTSA engineering dean C. Mauli Agrawal receives award from Society for Biomaterials

C. Mauli Agrawal, David and Jennifer Spencer Distinguished Chair for the Dean of Engineering and Peter Flawn Professor in Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), has been selected as the sole recipient of the Society for Biomaterials (SFB) 2013 Award for Service. The award honors Agrawal's significant service to the SFB in establishing, developing, maintaining and promoting its objectives and goals and the field of biomaterials.

He will be recognized at the society's annual meeting in Boston, Mass., April 10-13.

It is truly an honor to receive this international recognition, says Agrawal. I was fortunate to enter the field of biomaterials when some of the pioneers who changed the practice of medicine through revolutionary implants were still active. I have been privileged to learn from them and pass on the tradition to younger generations. This has made my 25 years in the field very fulfilling.

Agrawal specializes in the area of orthopedic and cardiovascular biomaterials. His work in these fields has resulted in several patents, many of which have been licensed to commercial entities. His lab is currently investigating tissue engineering approaches to treat aortic aneurysms, developing new technologies for drug eluting stents, exploring some revolutionary techniques for preventing blood loss related to battlefield injuries, and developing stent based micro-thin implantable blood pressure sensors.

Lynne Jones of Johns Hopkins University and chair of the Society for Biomaterials Awards, Ceremonies and Nominations Committee says, Dr. Agrawal's service to the Society for Biomaterials has been demonstrated in many ways across many years. It is a pleasure to recognize his many contributions to the SFB.

During his professional career, Agrawal has been the recipient of several honors and awards, and has authored more than 300 scientific publications, four scientific books, and has established more than a dozen patents. He is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, an honor reserved for those in the top two percent of the medical and biological engineering field. In 2010, he was awarded the distinguished BioMed SA's Julio Palmaz Award for Innovation in Healthcare and the Biosciences.

He was elected president of the Society for Biomaterials in 2006 and served as the chair of its Annual Scientific Meeting in 2001. Additionally, he is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Sigma XI Society, Biomedical Engineering Society and the Engineering Deans' Council. He also serves on the editorial boards of the J