Judson Vincent Edwards has been recognized with the AATCC Olney Medal Award for his substantial work designing and implementing cotton for acute and chronic wound care. For almost 25 years, Edwards’ research in cotton for hygiene and wound healing has led to significant understanding and treatment of infection and pain caused by chronic wounds. The research he began in 1997 led to the development of a protease-inhibitor, cotton-based wound dressing that served as a model in wound dressing development. At the center of the pathology is human neutrophil elastase (HNE), which is perhaps the most destructive protease in the body.
Cotton is typically used in one of four capacities within the medical field:
• Non-implantable products are cotton products that are applied externally; for example, dressings, bandages, padding, gloves, facemasks, and medical gowns
• Implantable products are cotton products that are used inside the body; for example, tampons
• Extracorporeal products are cotton products that are used outside of the body during procedures; for example, debridement sponges
• Hygiene products are cotton products that are used to keep the body clean; for example, baby wipes, diapers, feminine hygiene pads, and antiseptic wipes
Edwards has published 78 peer-reviewed papers and over 30 additional papers, proceedings, and presentations. He has edited two books and five book chapters. Edwards and his co-workers have been issued nine US patents. Edwards received the SRRC award for National Technology Transfer for “Cotton Battlefield Dressing Technology” in 2019. Edwards was recognized with the 2020 Secretary Honor Award given by Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. Along with this award, he also earned a place in the President’s Gears of Government Hall of Winners, USDA, for developing “a nonwoven cotton gauze that is 33% lighter and 63% more absorbent than standard gauzes made of bleached cotton.
Established in 1944 in honor of Louis Atwell Olney, the founder and first president of AATCC, the Olney Medal recognizes outstanding achievements in textile or polymer chemistry or other fields of chemistry of primary importance to textile science. The award consists of a gold medal, a scroll, and an honorarium.
Presentation of the medal each year is a highlight of AATCC’s annual conference. This year, the conference, the AATCC Textile Discovery Summit, will be held at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel Raleigh-Durham Airport at Research Triangle Park, NC, USA, from November 16-18, 2021. The Association will present the Olney Medal at the Awards Luncheon on November 18, 2021.
