Hani A. Awad

Hani A. Awad, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. He holds the Donald and Mary Clark Professorship of Orthopaedics. His research focuses on musculoskeletal tissue engineering, with an emphasis on regenerative solutions for tendon, ligament, cartilage, and bone injuries. Dr. Awad leads the Awad Lab, which develops in vivo and in vitro models to assess tissue repair efficacy and translational therapies.

Dr. Awad earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics/Biomechanics from the University of Cincinnati (1999) and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University under Dr. Farshid Guilak. He joined the University of Rochester faculty in 2004. His work spans biomaterials, scaffold design, and non-invasive bone assessment techniques. He has authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles and holds multiple patents for bone regeneration and infection management technologies.

Key research projects include bone allograft union, gene therapy for tendon repair, and 3D-printed antimicrobial scaffolds. His lab collaborates with engineers, clinicians, and industry partners to advance clinical applications. Notable awards include the Kappa Delta Ann Doner Vaughan Award (2007) and the Early Career Translational Research Award (2005).

Dr. Awad teaches in the Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. Program and mentors students in musculoskeletal research. Current projects include tendon-on-a-chip models and mitochondrial pathways in bone aging. His lab receives funding from NIH, NCATS, and industry grants.