Our Society · Since 1999
A brief history of TCES
From the formation of a UK tissue engineering network to a welcoming, interdisciplinary research community.
The Tissue and Cell Engineering Society (TCES) began in the late 1990s, as researchers across the UK sought closer connections between materials science, engineering, biology and medicine. Its goal was to bring a developing field together, share expertise and advance tissue engineering research and its applications.
Our Society’s history has been shaped by scientific exchange, a spirit of collaboration and a sustained commitment to students and early-career researchers.
Milestones
1997–1999
The Society takes shape
Kevin Shakesheff, returning from the United States in 1997, helped initiate conversations about a UK tissue engineering society, alongside colleagues including Sandra Downes and Professor Dame Julia Polak. TCES was established in 1999, with its first conference held at Imperial College London on 5–6 July.
2000s
A national meeting place
Annual conferences rotated between UK universities, giving emerging and established researchers a place to exchange ideas in biomaterials, cell engineering and regenerative medicine. Early meetings included Nottingham, Keele, Glasgow and Cardiff.
2006–2007
Supporting emerging investigators and international links
The Society’s early-career investigator award was documented from 2006. In 2007, the annual meeting at UCL was held jointly with TERMIS-EU, reflecting TCES’s international connections.
2010s
Growing the community
TCES continued to develop its annual meetings, newsletter, student engagement and research awards. Conference prizes, the Robert Brown Early Stage Investigator Award, travel bursaries and the Adam Curtis Collaboration Award became ways of supporting and recognising young scientists.
2020–2022
Continuity and return to in-person meetings
With the 2020 conference disrupted by the pandemic, the Society adapted its activities. An online meeting followed in 2021, before in-person conferences resumed in Birmingham in 2022.
2023–2026
Connecting across the field
The Society met in Manchester alongside TERMIS in 2023, followed by Glasgow in 2024, Bristol in 2025 and Brighton in 2026. Meetings continue to celebrate new science, interdisciplinary cooperation and emerging talent.
More than a conference
Throughout its history, TCES has used workshops, bursaries, networking events and prizes to bring researchers together. The Society’s newsletter has shared research highlights and opportunities, while TCES Net has helped support smaller meetings between annual conferences.
The Society’s interdisciplinary outlook remains central to its mission: encouraging progress in tissue and cell engineering, promoting exchange between research disciplines, and supporting the next generation of researchers.
Be part of what comes next
TCES welcomes researchers working across tissue engineering, biomaterials and regenerative medicine, from students to established academics and industrial partners.
This account draws on the Society’s historical working notes and existing records. Dates and roles in the full conference chronology are being checked, and the account may be expanded as further archive material becomes available.