National Academy of Sciences’ James Prize Awarded for Building 3D Organ-on-Chip Models and Vascularized Tissues

Science in a Sentence: In recognition of her pioneering work across materials science, bioengineering, and stem cell biology, the National Academy of Sciences awarded Dr. Jennifer Lewis the James Prize in Science and Technology Integration, which honors exceptional, multidisciplinary, scientific contributions that address modern challenges, including Dr. Lewis’ work developing perfusable 3D organ-on-chip models and vascularized tissues for applications in biomedical research, drug screening, and therapeutic development.

Healthy for Humans: Accurately modeling human biology is essential for advancing our understanding of disease and accelerating therapeutic discovery. Dr.  Lewis’ groundbreaking work in 3D organ-on-chip systems and tissue bioprinting—from replicating kidney function to recreating the intricate architecture of human skin at the cellular level—has enabled researchers to explore a broad spectrum of human diseases.

Redefining Research: Research using animals often falls short in capturing the complexities of human biology. The innovative technologies developed by the Lewis Lab offer a better representation of human physiology, allowing researchers to study diseases and test treatments with greater accuracy. Through advances in tissue bioprinting and organ-on-chip systems, Dr. Lewis’ work is helping to accelerate the pace and reliability of medical research and drug development.