Paul Dalton, an associate professor in the Department of Bioengineering, has been recognized with the University of Oregon's Innovation and Impact Award for his pioneering work developing mi

crofiber scaffolds. The technology has been widely adopted by laboratories around the world. The award is one of several given through the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation’s 2026 Outstanding Research Awards, which highlight notable research activities taking place at the UO.

Dalton, the Bradshaw and Holzapfel Research Professor in Transformational Science and Mathematics, is the inventor of “melt electrowriting” a low-cost, high-resolution 3D printing technique that electrifies molten polymers that are drawn out through an ultra-fine jet and precisely layered into micro-scale scaffolds. He co-founded VivoTex, a venture capital-backed Oregon biomed startup that uses tiny 3D-printed microfiber structures to mimic the natural matrix that supports cells in human tissue — an approach with broad potential applications in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

A nominator credited Dalton for bringing distinction to the University of Oregon while delivering real and lasting benefit to society, calling him “a steward of open‑source innovation, an architect of institutional intellectual property growth, and a tireless ambassador for science through public engagement.”