Rashaun Williams
Co-Founder & CIO, Harbinger Sports Partners | Guest Shark, ABC's Shark Tank | Atlanta Falcons Limited Partner | Venture Capitalist | Black Enterprise Investor of the Year
Anthony Atala
Founding Director, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine | Inventor of the First 3D Bioprinter | Chair, ACS Board of Regents | 800+ Publications | 250+ Patents
Anthony Atala is the scientist who grew a human organ in a lab and printed living human tissue, then implanted them in patients. As founding director of the world's leading regenerative medicine institute, he has guided 17 therapies into human care and brings audiences face-to-face with a future where organ shortages are solved and damaged tissue is repaired with the body's own cells. His TED talk has captivated millions.
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Anthony Atala biography
Healthcare speaker Anthony Atala is the founding director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine (WFIRM), a professor and chair of the Department of Urology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and one of the world’s foremost pioneers in regenerative medicine, the science of repairing and replacing damaged tissues and organs using the body’s own cells. He has spent decades turning what once looked like science fiction into clinical reality.
Anthony Atala leads a team of more than 450 physicians, researchers, and engineers working on over 40 different tissues and organs. His laboratory has produced 17 clinical applications of cell and tissue therapies used in human patients, including skin, bladders, urethras, cartilage, muscle, and other organs, making WFIRM the most clinically productive regenerative medicine institute in the world. Atala created the Integrated Tissue and Organ Printing System (ITOP), the first 3D bioprinter capable of producing human-scale tissue constructs, and his team engineered the first lab-grown organ, a bladder, ever successfully implanted in a human being, a milestone recognized twice by Time magazine as one of the top ten medical breakthroughs of the year. His kidney research team went on to win the $1 million KidneyX Prize for a 3D kidney construct platform aimed at the global organ transplant shortage.
Recognition at the Highest Level
Atala’s credentials span science, surgery, and institutional leadership. He has published more than 800 peer-reviewed articles, holds over 250 national and international patents, and has edited 25 books, including Principles of Regenerative Medicine and 3D Biofabrication. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, a charter fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, and a member of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and he was elected chair of the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons. His recent work includes fully functioning, multi-layered bioprinted skin shown to improve wound closure and reduce scarring, alongside continued advances in bioprinted kidney tissue. WFIRM has also been awarded a landmark NSF Engines grant of up to $160 million to build a regional regenerative medicine innovation hub.
As a speaker, Anthony Atala offers audiences a rare combination of visionary science and clinical proof. Where others forecast what bioprinting might one day achieve, he has already done it, in the operating room, with real patients. His TED talk on printing a human kidney has reached millions, and his keynotes translate that same clarity and wonder into the urgent questions facing healthcare, biotech, and innovation leaders: how to solve the organ shortage crisis, what medicine looks like when tissues can be grown on demand, and how to build the policy and investment frameworks to get there. Organizations book Anthony Atala when they need a speaker who does not just inspire but proves.
Anthony Atala Speaking Videos
Anthony Atala - Printing a human kidney
Anthony Atala - Regenerative Medicine: Growing Organs
Anthony Atala Keynote Topics
Atala takes audiences inside one of the world's most advanced regenerative medicine laboratories, where more than 40 tissues and organs are in active development and 17 technologies have already reached human patients. This keynote covers the science, the milestones, and the remaining frontiers of regenerative medicine, from lab-grown bladders and skin to the quest for printable kidneys and hearts, and what it means for the future of healthcare, aging, and quality of life.
Printing living human tissue on demand is no longer theoretical; it is happening in Atala's laboratory today. This keynote explores how 3D bioprinting works, the engineering breakthroughs that made it possible, and the clinical and commercial implications for hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, medical device makers, and health systems. Atala addresses both the extraordinary promise and the regulatory, ethical, and infrastructure challenges that will shape the industry's trajectory.
More than 100,000 people in the United States alone are on organ transplant waiting lists at any given time. Atala maps the full landscape of solutions, from bioengineered organs and 3D printing to xenotransplantation and cell therapies, and what it will take to move from promising research to population-scale impact. This talk is built for healthcare executives, policymakers, and investors who need to understand where the field is going and how to accelerate it.
Behind every medical breakthrough is a system of funding, collaboration, risk tolerance, and translation from laboratory to patient. Drawing on his experience building WFIRM into the world's leading regenerative medicine institute, Atala offers a practical framework for driving innovation in complex, high-stakes fields. This keynote is equally relevant for corporate R&D leaders, academic institutions, and government science agencies seeking to turn research investment into real-world outcomes.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Anthony Atala
Why Anthony Atala?
Booking Anthony Atala means bringing to your event one of the most consequential scientists alive, a researcher who has grown human organs in a laboratory and implanted them in patients, and whose work is reshaping how medicine treats disease and organ failure. He is not a futurist speculating about biology; he is the engineer who built the first 3D bioprinter capable of producing human-scale tissue, directed 17 clinical applications of regenerative technology, and chairs the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons. For events in healthcare, biotechnology, medical innovation, life sciences investment, or scientific leadership, there is no more authoritative or compelling voice. Contact Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring Anthony Atala to your stage.
What is the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine?
WFIRM, founded and directed by Atala, is the largest and most clinically advanced regenerative medicine institute in the world. Its team of more than 450 researchers and clinicians works on over 40 different tissues and organs at once. The institute was the first to engineer lab-grown organs successfully implanted into humans, and has produced 17 clinical applications of cell and tissue therapy technologies. It was awarded an NSF Engines grant of up to $160 million to build a regional hub for regenerative medicine innovation, research, and commercialization.
What was Anthony Atala's TED talk about?
Atala's widely viewed TED talk, Printing a Human Kidney, presented his laboratory's work using 3D bioprinting to build human organ structures layer by layer from a patient's own cells. He demonstrated a kidney-shaped construct on stage, and the talk has reached millions of viewers worldwide, making it one of the most-watched TED presentations in medicine and biotechnology.
What topics does healthcare speaker Anthony Atala cover?
Atala speaks on regenerative medicine, 3D bioprinting and biofabrication, the future of organ transplantation, tissue engineering, healthcare innovation, translational science, and the intersection of biotechnology and public policy. His keynotes are tailored for healthcare executives, biotech and pharma leaders, medical researchers, investors, and conference audiences focused on the frontier of human medicine. Reach out to Aurum Speakers Bureau for a tailored proposal to bring Anthony Atala to your event.
How to book Anthony Atala as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Anthony Atala as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Anthony Atala's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Anthony Atala or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Anthony Atala speaking fee?
Anthony Atala speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Anthony Atala to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Anthony Atala.
How can I contact Anthony Atala?
We only work with Anthony Atala on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Anthony Atala and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Anthony Atala speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Anthony Atala for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Anthony Atala for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Anthony Atala is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Anthony Atala for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
