Awards

The International Award is a prestigious recognition by the ESB of scientists who have generally spent their career outside Europe, who have been internationally recognised, have a high scientific profile, and have made major contributions to the field of biomaterials. Strong evidence of collaborations with members of our scientific community in Europe throughout their career is expected.

Antonios G. Mikos is the Louis Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University. His research focuses on the synthesis, processing, and evaluation of new biomaterials for use as scaffolds for tissue engineering, as carriers for controlled drug delivery, as non-viral vectors for gene therapy, and as platforms for disease modeling. His work has led to the development of novel orthopaedic, dental, cardiovascular, neurologic, and ophthalmologic biomaterials. He is the author of over 700 publications and the inventor of 32 patents. Mikos is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Inventors, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Academia Europaea, and the Academy of Athens. He has been recognized by various awards including the Jensen Tissue Engineering Award of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society-Global, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society-Americas, the Founders Award of the Society For Biomaterials, the Founders Award of the Controlled Release Society, the Acta Biomaterialia Gold Medal, the Robert A. Pritzker Distinguished Lecturer Award of the Biomedical Engineering Society, and the Marshall R. Urist Award for Excellence in Tissue Regeneration Research of the Orthopaedic Research Society. He is a Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Tissue Engineering.

The Jean Leray award is established by the European Society for Biomaterials to recognize, encourage and stimulate outstanding research contributions to the field of biomaterials by early-career scientists. The nominee must have contributed significantly to the knowledge in the field of biomaterials through basic, experimental and/or clinical research. The award will be presented annually during the ESB conference.

Miguel Castilho is an Assistant Professor of Biomaterials Design and Processing at TU/e, in the Netherlands. His research is dedicated to designing and processing biomaterials for in situ functional restoration of damaged and diseased tissues, particularly mineralized tissues like bone. In 2015, he received a PhD in Biomedical Engineering (cum laude) from the University of Lisbon. From 2015 to 2018 he was a post-doctoral researcher at UMC Utrecht, where became an Assistant Professor in 2018. In 2021, he started a tenured position as an Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering at TU/e and also holds an adjunct appointment at UMC Utrecht. For his achievements in biomaterials design and 3D printing technologies development he has been awarded individual grants, international awards and recognitions. He has also secured and been involved in various large consortium national and international research programs, including Eurostars grants, the EU-funded project BRAV3 and Health-Holland-TKI.

The Klaas de Groot award is a prestigious recognition by the European Society for Biomaterials of scientists who have shown a distinct ability to provide excellent mentorship and guidance to young researchers, helping them to establish their own independent career. We look for colleagues who have nurtured young talent, and who have selflessly invested in this talent, creating a next generation biomaterials scientists in Europe. The award will be presented annually during the ESB conference.