The Purdue Chapter of the Society of Sigma Xi has selected Dr. Stephen Badylak as the first recipient
of the newly-created Professional Staff Research Award based on his outstanding contributions to the
science and development of tissue-engineered constructs used to promote skin and wound healing. The
award will be presented at the Sigma Xi banquet on April 18, 2002.

Dr. Badylak's leadership in carrying out scientific investigations and in coordinating research with
colleagues across the U.S. has resulted in the development of small intestinal submucosa (SIS) and other
extracellular matrices (ECMs) as a scaffold for orthopaedic, cardiac, and soft tissue repair. These
scaffolds are implanted in the body at the site of a wound, where they recruit new cells to form tissues
identical to the original structures, and then are resorbed by the body. Clinical trials, which began in
January 1999, have now involved more than 55,000 patients. Current research is focussing on
additional medical applications of SIS in various tissue structures throughout the body and its apparent
anti-infective properties.