VinFuture Special Prize for Women Innovators recognizes biomedical researcher

Kristi Anseth, a distinguished professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, was awarded the prestigious VinFuture Special Prize for Women Innovators in recognition of her pioneering tissue engineering research. Winners were selected from nearly 1,500 nominations across 80 countries and territories worldwide.

Anseth, also the associate faculty director of CU Boulder’s BioFrontiers Institute, designs biomaterials that interact with living tissues to accelerate healing. Her team also grows miniaturized versions of heart cells and tissues, known as organoids, to explore new heart disease treatments, such as repairing heart muscles after heart attacks.

“The translation of bioengineering across biology and medicine remains a frontier,” Anseth said. “Many major breakthroughs in the next decade will continue at this interface and lead to improvements in healthcare.”