Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine Appoints Director of International Affairs

October 20, 2008

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – David F. Williams, D.Sc., a world-renowned expert in tissue engineering and medical devices, has joined the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine as professor and director of international affairs.

Williams’ role is to help establish collaborations with universities, medical centers and researchers from around the world with the goal of advancing the science of regenerative medicine to help patients who need replacement organs or tissue. He will work to establish exchange programs with scientists and students as well as identify potential joint ventures and collaborations.

“We are excited to have David Williams as a member of our faculty,” said Anthony Atala, M.D., director of the institute. “His international focus, as well as his own reputation as a leader in this field, will help us establish international collaborations with the potential to speed scientific development and make advances in regenerative medicine available to patients around the world.”

Williams was trained as a materials scientist and has 40 years of experience in the fields of medical devices and tissue engineering at the University of Liverpool, England. His roles there included directing the United Kingdom Centre for Tissue Engineering. He also wrote reports for the British government on issues surrounding the international commercialization of medical technology.

Williams is editor-in-chief of Biomaterials, the world’s leading journal in this field, and has published almost 400 scientific papers and written or edited 35 books. He received the prestigious Founders Award of the U.S. Society for Biomaterials in 2007. He is a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, which honors the United Kingdom’s most distinguished engineers.

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Media Contacts: Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu, 336-716-4453, or Bonnie Davis, bdavis@wfubmc.edu at 336-716-4587.


About the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine
The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (www.wfirm.org) is an established center dedicated to the discovery, development and clinical translation of regenerative medicine technologies by leading faculty. The institute has used biomaterials alone, cell therapies, and engineered tissues and organs for the treatment of patients with injury or disease. The Institute is based at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (www.wfubmc.edu), an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university’s School of Medicine, and Wake Forest University Physicians. The system is consistently ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report.

Media Relations

: news@wakehealth.edu, 336-713-4587