Pitt bioengineering graduate student receives an award at the 2018 TERMIS World Congress

PITTSBURGH (September 13, 2018) … Catalina Pineda Molina, a former University of Pittsburgh bioengineering graduate student, was recipient of the 2018 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Outstanding Student Award at the 5th Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) World Congress. The meeting was held from September 4-7, 2018 at the Kyoto International Conference Center in Kyoto, Japan.

The award recognizes research that Pineda Molina performed in the lab of Stephen Badylak, professor of surgery at Pitt and director of the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Her research focuses on the mechanisms of host-biomaterial interactions; specifically, the macrophage response to surgical mesh materials, and the expression of antimicrobial peptides in this context.

The TERMIS World Congress is held every three years and combines the three chapters of the society (Asia Pacific, Europe, and Americas). The event brings together researchers, scientists, trainees, and students to discuss cutting edge research, legal regulation, and commercialization of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. 

Pineda Molina received a cash award and was presented with a plaque recognizing her achievements. Additionally, her research will be published in the journal Tissue Engineering, Part A. She successfully defended her thesis in June 2018 and currently works as a postdoctoral associate in the Badylak Lab.

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