Anthony Atala

Dr. Anthony Atala is the Director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM) and the W. H. Boyce Professor and Chair of Urology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He holds multiple professorships including in Translational Neuroscience and is a leading figure in regenerative medicine research. His interdisciplinary team comprises over 450 researchers and physicians working across multiple departments and centers.

Dr. Atala's research focuses on tissue engineering, stem cells, and regenerative medicine with specific applications in urology and reconstructive surgery. His work has led to 15 clinically implemented technologies for engineering tissues including muscle, urethra, cartilage, reproductive tissues, and skin. A pioneer in bioprinting, he has developed specialized 3-D printers to engineer tissues using cells to create various organs and organoids for body-on-a-chip systems. His discoveries include stem cell populations derived from amniotic fluid and placenta with significant clinical research applications.

Dr. Atala's publications demonstrate a strong focus on urologic cancers, particularly prostate cancer, with research spanning molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis, biomarker discovery, and therapeutic resistance. His work bridges regenerative medicine with cancer research, applying tissue engineering approaches to understand and treat genitourinary malignancies. The publications show consistent contributions to both clinical applications and fundamental biological understanding in regenerative medicine.

• Jacobson Innovation Award by American College of Surgeons (2022)
• US Congress funded Christopher Columbus Foundation Award
• World Technology Award in Health and Medicine
• Edison Science/Medical Award for innovation
• Smithsonian Ingenuity Award for Bioprinting Tissue and Organs
• Time Magazine's Top 10 medical breakthroughs (twice)
• Elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences
• National Academy of Inventors as a Charter Fellow

Dr. Atala has published over 800 journal articles, edited 25 books and 3 journals, and holds more than 250 national and international patents. He has received significant research funding supporting his work in regenerative medicine. His leadership extends to national committees including the National Institutes of Health working groups and he is a founding member of multiple professional organizations in regenerative medicine. The Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine under his direction is currently working on more than 40 tissues and organs, positioning it as a global leader in translating scientific discovery into clinical therapies.

WFIRM operates as a comprehensive research ecosystem with specialized laboratories for tissue engineering, stem cell research, biomaterials development, and 3D bioprinting. The institute collaborates with multiple centers including the Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism, and the Sticht Center for Healthy Aging, creating an integrated research environment that spans basic science to clinical applications.