Danielle Benoit, Department Chair of the Department of Bioengineering, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Acta Biomaterialia Silver Medal.

The award is a prestigious mid-career honor celebrating significant, recent, and timely research contributions to the field of biomaterials. The medal is bestowed annually by Acta Materialia, Inc., publisher of the journal Acta Biomaterialia.

The award announcement singled out Benoit for her internationally recognized research program in therapeutic biomaterials and her goal of designing "smart" biomaterials from the bottom up, while also recognizing her commitment to outreach, mentorship and innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Benoit has won numerous other honors, including election as a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the Biomedical Engineering Society, and the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering. She has also received the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, the NSF CAREER Award and recently received UO’s Outstanding Department Chair Award. Her work has resulted in over 120 peer-reviewed publications and significant translational impact, including 13 U.S. patents licensed by four companies and the recent co-founding of AsteriaRx, LLC, to develop tissue-targeted therapies. 

“Altogether, Benoit’s rigorous scientific approach, leadership in training, and commitment to societal impact exemplify the values recognized by the Acta Biomaterialia Silver Medal,” the announcement read.