12 September 2025
Dr Andrew Daly, Investigator at CÚRAM, the Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices, and Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering at University of Galway, is the recipient of the European Society for Biomaterials’ 2025 Jean Leray Award.
The award is a prestigious honour which recognises outstanding early-career researchers for their significant contributions in the field of biomaterials and was presented to Dr Daly at the 34th Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB 2025), which took place from September 7 to 11 in Turin, Italy.
As part of the award, Dr Daly delivered a plenary lecture at the conference titled ‘Developmentally Inspired and AI-Enhanced Bioprinting of Human Heart Models’. His research group focuses on bioprinting human heart tissue using strategies inspired by embryonic heart development. In parallel, they are developing AI-powered bioprinting systems with enhanced precision and reproducibility. In the future, this research aims to provide new treatment options for those living with cardiovascular disease.
On receiving the award, Dr Daly commented, ‘I’m very honoured to receive the Jean Leray award. It’s hugely motivating for our work to be acknowledged by the ESB community in this way, and it reflects the hard work and creativity of everyone in our team’.
Dr Daly was selected by an independent Scientific Awards Committee of the European Society for Biomaterials for this honour. Recipients of this award are recognised for their advanced knowledge in biomaterials through basic, experimental and clinical research.
Professor Nicholas Dunne, President of the European Society for Biomaterials, commented on the award, ‘On behalf of the Council, I would like to congratulate Andrew. His pioneering research exemplifies the innovative spirit driving biomaterials science today. His early-career achievements in bioprinting and regenerative medicine highlight the transformative potential of this field to address critical health challenges. The European Society for Biomaterials is proud to recognise his outstanding contributions with the prestigious Jean Leary Award. The European Society for Biomaterials are excited to follow Andrew’s scientific journey and see how your career continues to shape the future of biomaterials.’
Participants at ESB 2025 share and discuss traditional areas of biomaterials research, such as clinical translation, regenerative medicine, in vitro models, drug delivery, antibacterial treatments, as well as emerging themes, such as biomaterials assisted gene and cell therapy, investigations at the (bio)molecular and cell scale, as well as crosscutting topics, such as artificial intelligence in biomaterial research, ethics, and 3Rs principle, regulatory frameworks.
Further information on the ESB 2025 event programme is available here: https://esb2025.org/
