2026 Distinguished Alumni Award: Molly Shoichet

Molly Shoichet '92 PhD is a recipient of the 2026 College of Natural Sciences (CNS) Distinguished Alumni Award. 

Shoichet earned her PhD in Polymer Science and Engineering from CNS in 1992, working with Professor Thomas J. McCarthy. Her doctoral research focused on the synthesis and surface modification of polymers, laying the foundation for a career that would bring together polymer science, chemical engineering, biomaterials, and regenerative medicine. 

“At UMass, I had the opportunity to grow, learn, and explore,” recalled Shoichet. “In the McCarthy lab, we worked together to achieve success. Tom let me forge my own path and explore new areas of science that ultimately led me to a career at the intersection of polymer chemistry, engineering, and medicine.” 

After completing her doctorate, Shoichet worked at CytoTherapeutics, an encapsulated cell therapy company, prior to joining the University of Toronto, where she has built an internationally recognized research program focused on developing biomaterials and drug-delivery strategies to address some of medicine's most challenging problems. She is currently a University Professor and the Pamela & Paul Austin Chair in Precision & Regenerative Medicine, with appointments spanning chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, chemistry, and medicine. 

Much of Shoichet's research has centered on designing materials that can deliver cells and therapeutics precisely where they are needed. Her laboratory has developed hydrogel-based systems and other biomaterials for applications including spinal cord injury, stroke, cancer, and diseases of the eye. Her work has explored ways to improve the survival and function of transplanted cells, control the release of therapeutic molecules, and create engineered environments that promote tissue repair and regeneration. 

Her research has translated into both intellectual property and commercial innovation. Shoichet is the inventor on nearly 50 patents and has co-founded companies based on discoveries from her laboratory, including AmacaThera and Synakis. AmacaThera, focused on therapeutic delivery technologies, secured $17 million in seed and Series A investment and a $230million partnership with Pacira. Her laboratory's work continues to advance technologies for regenerative medicine, including therapies aimed at spinal cord injury, stroke recovery, retinal degeneration, glaucoma, and other conditions. 

Shoichet's influence extends well beyond her laboratory. In 2018, she became the first Chief Scientist for the province of Ontario, advising on evidence-based decision-making, research policy, and strategies for strengthening public trust in science. She has also served on national and provincial advisory bodies, including the Science, Technology and Innovation Council, which provided strategic advice to the Prime Minister of Canada, and the Ontario Research and Innovation Council, which advised the Premier of Ontario. 

Her contributions have earned some of the highest honors in Canadian science and engineering in addition to Foreign member of the US National Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the Royal Society (UK) and Fellow, National Academy of Inventors. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2018 and has received the Canada Council for the Arts’ Killam Prize in Engineering, the NSERC Herzberg Gold Medal, the Margolese National Brain Disorders Prize, and numerous other distinctions. She has also received honorary doctorates from the University of Alberta and the University of Ottawa. 

Throughout her career, Shoichet has combined fundamental polymer science with an ambitious vision for improving human health. Her work demonstrates how discoveries in materials science can move from the laboratory toward new approaches to treating injury and disease. 

“As scientists we aim to focus our passion and scientific curiosity on grand challenges facing society—Dr. Shoichet’s career exemplifies this,” said CNS Dean Mike Fox. “Her interweaving and application of polymer, material, and biological sciences has led to innovations and technologies that address critical therapeutic gaps in a number of debilitating injuries or diseases affecting our nervous system, including stroke, spinal cord injury, and retinal degeneration. The impact of her work at the frontline of precision and therapeutic medicine is transformational, and we are so proud to call Dr. Shoichet an alumnus of our Polymer Science and Engineering program.” 

“These formative years at UMass in research had an enormously positive impact on my career,” expressed Shoichet. “I am driven to answer the ‘what if’ questions of science, to think about problems from a different perspective, and to advance our inventions to innovations, ultimately making a difference to human health.”