2025 Jensen Tissue Engineering Award Recipient
Prof. Rocky S. Tuan is awarded the highest award in TERMIS Global – the Jensen Tissue Engineering Award. More details on the award available HERE.
Prof. Rocky S. Tuan
Prof. Rocky S. Tuan
Professor, Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, and
Immediate Past Vice-Chancellor and President
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Professor Tuan (Ph.D., Rockefeller University), the immediate past Vice-Chancellor and President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2018 to 2025), is an internationally renowned biomedical scientist who specializes in musculoskeletal biology, tissue regeneration, stem cells, biomaterials, 3D bioprinting, and tissue/organ-on-a-chip technologies. He is currently the Lee Quo Wei Lee Yick Hoi Lun Professor of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at CUHK, where he founded the Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (iTERM) in 2016. A highly cited author of over 650 publications, his recognitions include the Marshall Urist Award, Clemson & Carnegie Science Awards, and Fellowships in the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), American Association of Anatomy (AAA), Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) and International Combined Orthopaedic Research Societies (ICORS), and Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS). He is the founding editor of Birth Defects Research (2003-2017) and Stem Cell Research & Therapy (2009-present), and Associate Editor of Stem Cells Translational Medicine (2011-present).
2025 TERMIS-AM Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Nicholas A. Peppas
Dr. Nicholas A. Peppas
Professor & Director of the Institute for Biomaterials, Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Texas at Austin
He is a world-renowned leader in biomedical engineering who has made seminal contributions to the fields of biomaterials, controlled drug delivery, and bionanotechnology, with applications in tissue engineering. Peppas is particularly well-known for his work on biocompatible hydrogels. His lab developed these materials for scaffolds for tissue engineering applications and in controlled-release drug devices. Beginning in the 1980s, Peppas pioneered the creation of "intelligent" or "smart" biomaterials that are sensitive to physiological signals such as temperature or pH. This allows them to deliver medications or other therapeutic agents in a responsive, controlled manner. His multidisciplinary research approach combines molecular and cellular biology with engineering to create next-generation systems and devices for applications like tissue regeneration. His research group has worked to better understand the transport of biological compounds in tissues and the specific interactions between tissues and polymers, especially poly(vinyl alcohol) and acrylate or methacrylate-based polymers. Peppas is the director of the Institute for Biomaterials, Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Texas at Austin, which is dedicated to advancements in these fields. He is the Cockrell Family Regents Chair in Engineering and Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care, Dell Medical School, and Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, College of Pharmacy.
Peppas is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Inventors and several international academies in Europe, China, Korea, India, Greece, France, Spain, Romania and Mexico. He has received numerous awards, including the Kabiller Prize in Nanoscience and Nanomedicine, which cited his transformative impact on healthcare, the NAE Founders Award, the NAM Yarmolinsky Award, the Giulio Natta Polymer Award, the Global Biomaterials Leadership Award, the Acta Biomaterialia Gold Medal, the AAPS Global Pharmaceutical Leader Award and the Ellis Island Gild Medal Honor. He has been a founding member of TERMIS. He holds honorary degrees from several universities in the USA, France, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Israel and China. His more than 130 former PhD and 150 postdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists have gone on to become prominent researchers in tissue engineering and biomaterials, further cementing his broad influence in the field.
2025 TERMIS-AM Senior Scientist Award
Prof. Joyce Y. Wong
Prof. Joyce Y. Wong is Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering at Boston University and an Inaugural Term Distinguished Professor of Engineering
2025 TERMIS-AM Innovation/Commercialization Award
Dr. Jeff Karp
Dr. Jeff Karp
Endowed Chair at Mass General Brigham and Professor at Harvard Medical School and MIT
Dr. Jeff Karp (www.jeffkarp.com) doesn’t just observe nature, he learns with it. An Endowed Chair at Mass General Brigham and Professor at Harvard Medical School and MIT, Jeff is a biomedical innovator and best-selling author who transformed undiagnosed ADHD into a driving force for creativity, leadership, and pattern disruption.
From his lab at Mass General Brigham, Jeff has co-founded 14 companies, holds more than 100 patents, and pioneered medical breakthroughs including a sutureless, bio-inspired device for peripheral nerve repair that recently received FDA approval. His team’s inventions span high tech skincare, photocurable polymers for tissue reconstruction, 3D printed biomedical devices, immunomodulating materials, regenerative small molecule drugs, cannabinoid therapeutics, biomedical devices for child safety, self-stopping needles for gene therapy, bioengineered GI coatings, and pathogen neutralizing nasal sprays. A Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, his work continues to reimagine how medicine can heal by following nature’s blueprints.
But Jeff’s story is not just about technologies, it is about tapping into the life force energy of creativity and curiosity, and translating that into solutions. Lessons from geckos, jellyfish, porcupines, and even snails have inspired innovations that move from the lab into people’s lives, from surgeries to skincare. Along the way, he has mentored dozens of trainees who are now bringing their own discoveries and ideas into the world, extending what he calls “the most scalable technology of all: mentorship.”
Today, Jeff contributes his skills and vision to Geoversity, Nature’s University, in Panama, a living campus in the jungle where he helps shape immersive experiences rooted in nature and Indigenous wisdom. He is also the author of LIT: Life Ignition Tools, and a contributing writer for Psychology Today with his blog How Do You Think About That?, where he invites readers to explore curiosity as a spark for connection, creativity, and growth.
Jeff’s mission is simple and radical: to live as if every barrier is a design prompt and every challenge is nature’s next lesson. He believes every person carries the potential to ignite breakthroughs, whether quiet shifts in daily life or bold advances in the world, each creating ripples by recognizing the unique gifts embedded in their own way of being.
2025 TERMIS-AM Young Investigator Award
Dr. Brian Aguado
Dr. Brian Aguado
Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at UC San Diego
He is currently an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at UC San Diego, where his laboratory research is focused on studying sex differences in cardiovascular disease using biomaterial technologies. Dr. Aguado completed his BS degree in Biomechanical Engineering from Stanford University and his MS and PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University. He also obtained his certificate in Management for Scientists and Engineers from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. He completed his postdoctoral fellowship in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dr. Aguado has received numerous grants to support his research, including the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, the American Heart Association Career Development Award, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Science Diversity Leadership Award, the NIH DP2 New Innovator Award, and the NSF CAREER Award. Dr. Aguado is also the recipient of the Society for Biomaterials Young Investigator Award, the American Society of Matrix Biology Young Investigator Award, the Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE) Rising Star Award, the Biomaterials Journal Young Investigator Award, the Great Minds in STEM HENAAC Award for Most Promising Scientist and Engineer, and was elected as an AIMBE Emerging Leader for his efforts as an ISSCR Goldstein Science Policy Fellow. Dr. Aguado also co-founded the non-profit organization LatinXinBME, a grassroots virtual mentoring group of over 600 Latinx biomedical engineers dedicated to building a community that supports each other personally and professionally through their careers. For his mentoring and teaching efforts, he was named one of the 100 Most Inspiring Latinx Scientists in America by Cell Press and received the Society for Biomaterials Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, the BMES Diversity Award, the ASEE Constituent DEI Award, the Teacher of the Year Award from the Jacobs School of Engineering, the ISSCR Public Service Award, and the GEMINI Faculty Mentor Award from the UCSD Institute for Engineering in Medicine.
2025 TERMIS-AM Outstanding Postdoc Award
Dr. Gopal Agarwal
Dr. Gopal Agarwal
Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida
He is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida, where his research focuses on developing translational strategies for spinal cord regeneration. He earned his Ph.D. in Biotechnology from the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Ahmedabad, India. His doctoral work explored the therapeutic potential of graphene-based scaffolds and interconnected porous hydrogels for neural tissue repair, establishing a strong foundation in biomaterials and regenerative medicine.
At the University of Florida, Dr. Agarwal’s postdoctoral research integrates tissue engineering with immunomodulation, with a particular emphasis on injectable hydrogel formulations derived from decellularized tissues. These biomaterial platforms are engineered for the co-delivery of therapeutic cells and immunomodulatory enzymes, aiming to modulate the post-injury microenvironment and promote functional recovery following spinal cord injury. His work reflects a passion for advancing clinically relevant biomaterials that bridge fundamental science and translational outcomes.
Dr. Agarwal has published 10 first-author papers in leading journals and holds two patents (one granted, one filed) in the field of regenerative biomaterials. Beyond research, he has made significant contributions to the scientific community as Secretary/Treasurer and Program Chair for special interest groups at the Society for Biomaterials. He also serves as a reviewer for multiple journals and has taken on roles as a guest editor for books and journal special issues. He has led the organization of the 3-Minute Thesis competition for the Biomedical Engineering Society and for the Society for Biomaterials in 2025, promoting science communication and mentoring skills among trainees.
His excellence has been recognized with several prestigious honors, including the UF BME Postdoc Excellence Award, the McKnight Brain Institute Professional Development Award, and invitations to deliver talks at national and institutional forums such as the Spinal Cord Injury Retreat, UF BME Seminar Series, NSF I-Corps Postdoctoral Appreciation Week, and Saint Luke’s Hospital Neurology Grand Rounds.
Dedicated to mentorship, Dr. Agarwal has mentored 16 master’s students, 7 undergraduates, and 2 Ph.D. students, fostering the next generation of scientists and engineers. He is deeply committed to nurturing collaborative, interdisciplinary approaches to biomedical challenges, with the vision of developing innovative regenerative technologies that improve patient outcomes and quality of life.
Dr. Agarwal’s journey—from pioneering hydrogel-graphene biomaterials in India to advancing injectable immunomodulatory scaffolds in the U.S.—reflects not only his scientific excellence but also his belief in the transformative power of biomaterials research to restore function, inspire hope, and redefine possibilities in regenerative medicine.