[Image above] Imperial College London professor Julian Jones, left, presents William Bonfield with the 2021 Larry L. Hench Lifetime Achievement Award. Credit: Imperial College London
Each December, the ACerS Bulletin provides an in-depth look at the role ceramic and glass materials play in everyday life, including in our homes, electronics, and sports.
In December 2020, we focused on ceramics and glass in our bodies. From implants to coatings to scaffolds, these materials play an essential role in repairing, replacing, and enhancing bodily materials.
As worldwide populations age due to population dynamics and increasing life expectancies, the demand for bioceramics will likely grow much larger than the global market’s estimated worth of nearly $18.4 billion in 2019. To fulfill this demand, scientists will need to not only innovate new ceramic and glass materials but translate them to market.
In 2020, the same year as the Bulletin bodies article, the Bioceramics Division of The American Ceramic Society launched a new award to recognize pioneers in the innovation and translation of bioceramic and bioactive glass technology.
The Larry L. Hench Lifetime Achievement Award is named for Larry Hench, inventor of the first bioactive glass that interacted with the body to initiate healing. The award is presented each year at ACerS Annual Meeting at MS&T.
In 2021, William Bonfield was recognized as the second recipient of this award. Bonfield is a highly successful entrepreneur who has made numerous breakthroughs in the bioceramics field, including pioneering the bone regeneration material ActiFuse, which has been used in more than one million patients worldwide since 2005.
In an interview with Imperial College London professor Julian Jones, Bonfield discusses what receiving the award means to him, talks about how ACerS supports the advancement of the bioceramics field, and shares advice for others looking to translate their innovations into clinical settings.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all ACerS Division Awards were postponed in 2022. The next Larry L. Hench Lifetime Achievement Award will be awarded at ACerS Annual Meeting at MS&T23 in Columbus, Ohio. The deadline for nominations is Jan. 15, 2023. Read the nomination guidelines at this link.