Dean Kamen is an inventor, an entrepreneur, and a tireless advocate for science and technology. His passion for innovation has driven groundbreaking advancements in healthcare, mobility, and education, shaping industries and inspiring future generations.
As the Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI)
| BioFabUSA, Kamen leads a first-of-its-kind innovation accelerator dedicated to advancing the scalable
manufacturing of engineered tissues and tissue-related technologies. Supported by the U.S. Department of
Defense, ARMI | BioFabUSA is a national Manufacturing Innovation Institute and nonprofit organization focused on building a competitive, capable, and innovative domestic ecosystem for cell, tissue, and organ manufacturing. Under Kamen’s leadership, ARMI and its nearly 200 members nationwide are integrating expertise in biomanufacturing, medicine, and engineering to de-risk and accelerate the development of regenerative therapies that will revolutionize healthcare for chronic illness and traumatic injury.
Kamen founded DEKA Research & Development Corporation in 1982 to develop groundbreaking medical
innovations. He holds more than 1,000 U.S. and foreign patents, many for transformative medical devices that have expanded healthcare’s frontiers. Examples of technologies developed by DEKA include the twiist™ Automated Insulin Delivery System, the Remunity® pump for Remodulin delivery, the HomeChoice™ portable dialysis machine, the iBOT™ Mobility System, a DARPA-funded robotic arm, and a new and improved Stirling engine.
In addition to DEKA, one of Kamen’s proudest accomplishments is founding FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), an organization dedicated to motivating the next generation to understand, use and
enjoy science and technology. He expanded this initiative to create FIRST Global, which unites teams from over 190 countries in a different country each year.
Kamen’s contributions have been widely recognized. Notably, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology in
2000. Presented by President Clinton, this award was in recognition for inventions that have advanced medical care worldwide, and for innovative and imaginative leadership in awakening America to the excitement of science and technology. He was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 1997. He was awarded the Lemelson-MIT Prize in 2002, and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in May 2005. He is a Fellow
of the American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering, as well as many other national and international
engineering organizations.
With an unwavering commitment to technological innovation and societal impact, Dean Kamen continues to drive advancements that transform industries, improve lives, and inspire future generations.