News and Opinions

The Regenerative Medicine Foundation Announces Regenerative Medicine “Action” Award Honorees Advocating for Future Science and Medical Breakthroughs

May 31, 2023 | News & Opinions

20th Edition of Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Action Awards to be Presented at World Stem Cell Summit , June 5-9, 2023 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Winston-Salem, May 31, 2023 – The Regenerative Medicine Foundation has announced this year’s Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Action Award honorees. The award is given to those who have raised the standard of creative advocacy, inspired new constituencies to support initiatives extending the human healthspan, and exemplified effective leadership to accelerate regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures.

The 2023 Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine Action honorees include:

  • Leadership Award: North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. Governor Cooper has spearheaded several strategic investments in North Carolina’s life sciences that promoted the development of the biotechnology workforce and has fostered a favorable environment for innovative biomedical research to accelerate the development of effective treatments and cures. He serves as a national example of effective governmental leadership for the burgeoning field of regenerative medicine and technological innovation. North Carolina is both a laboratory of democracy and is recognized as a leading state for this new field of potentially curative medicine.
  • National Advocacy Award: The Methuselah Foundation. This pioneering nonprofit organization incubates and sponsors ventures focused on longevity science and extending the human healthspan. It is a major funder of biomedical research and supports innovative prizes to accelerate breakthroughs in longevity such as its Animal Free Precision Medicine Prize initiative (AFPM.BIO).
  • Grassroots Advocacy Award: Ring of Brotherhood Foundation. The nonprofit Ring of Brotherhood Foundation provides services and advocacy for all athletes who have suffered traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and other life-altering sports-related injuries. Their Clinical Research Committee provides baseline diagnoses and treatments to those in need. Athletes deserve a fighting chance to achieve a healthy lifespan. On hand to receive the award will be Lisa McClellan, representing Ring of Brotherhood, and the legendary Hall of Fame Boxer, the “Coal Miner’s Daughter” Christy Martin, on behalf of the World Boxing Council.
  • Inspiration Award: Taylor’s Tale. Based in North Carolina, this group is a leading voice in the fight against rare diseases. Founded to honor one little girl with CLN1 disease (Batten disease), today it works to build a better future for one in 10 Americans – and 350 million people worldwide – who suffer from one of more than 7,000 rare diseases. The organization advocates for breakthrough treatments for Batten disease and other rare diseases.

Since 2005 the Regenerative Medicine Foundation (and its predecessor Genetics Policy Institute)  has honored the field’s innovators, leaders, and champions at the annual World Stem Cell Summit.

“Effective advocacy and leadership are the magic ingredients to effectuate positive outcomes.The work of these effective, passionate, and inspiring individuals and organizations is leading us to effective treatments and cures, sooner rather than later,” said Bernard Siegel, Executive Director of the Regenerative Medicine Foundation and founder and co-chair of the World Stem Cell Summit.

About the Regenerative Medicine Foundation Action Awards:  Over the past 19 years, the Regenerative Medicine Foundation Action Awards have recognized outstanding organizations and individuals who have made a major contribution to advancing new therapies and cures based on regenerative medicine. Past honorees have included leaders in philanthropy, advocacy, education, and policy, including The then-former Vice President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, Bob Klein, Michael J. Fox, Dr. Jeanne Loring, Dr. Arnold Caplan,  Bernie Marcus,  Denny Sanford, Governors Jennifer Granholm (Michigan, now Secretary of Energy), Martin O’Malley (Maryland) and Jim Doyle (Wisconsin). Recognized organizations include the Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS),  Research America, JDRF, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Hadassah, Parent’s Guide to Cord Blood Foundation, Huntington Disease Grassroots Community, ALS Worldwide, and the Parkinson’s Action Network, among other groups.

About the Regenerative Medicine Foundation: The nonprofit Regenerative Medicine Foundation fosters strategic collaborations to accelerate the development of regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures. RMF unites the world’s leading researchers, medical centers, universities, labs, businesses, funders, policymakers, experts in law, regulation, and ethics, medical philanthropies, and patient organizations. We maintain a trusted network of leaders and pursue our mission by producing our flagship World Stem Cell Summit series of conferences and public days, honoring leaders through the Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Action Awards, supporting our official journal partner STEM CELLS Translational Medicine (SCTM), promoting solution-focused policy initiatives both nationally and internationally and creating STEM/STEAM educational projects. For more information about RMF, please visit: www.regmedfoundation.org.

About the World Stem Cell Summit: The World Stem Cell Summit is a project of the nonprofit Regenerative Medicine Foundation. Since 2003, Regenerative Medicine Foundation has built the most robust, comprehensive, and trusted global network for Regenerative Medicine, uniting the world’s leading researchers, medical centers, universities, labs, businesses, funders, policymakers, experts in law, regulation, and ethics, medical philanthropies and patient organizations. Our mission is to accelerate regenerative medicine to improve health and deliver cures. We are committed to the ethical advancement of innovative medicine powered by regenerative, restorative, and curative technologies. All we do is in service of health, life, and the alleviation of human suffering. www.worldstemcellsummit.com

Media Contact:
Joseph Dawson
Director of Communications,
joseph@regmedfoundation.org