The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) announced Andy Christensen, previously founder and president of Medical Modeling Inc. and currently an adjunct professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Cincinnati, as the recipient of its esteemed Innovators Award. AMUG bestows this award on those who have cultivated innovative ideas that have advanced the additive manufacturing industry.

The Innovators Award will be presented at the 2022 AMUG Conference, following Mr. Christensen’s onstage appearance during the conference’s Innovators Showcase. Previous recipients include industry luminaries Chuck Hull, Scott Crump, Carl Deckard, Fried Vancraen, Gideon Levy, and Hans Langer.

Carl Dekker, AMUG president, said, “Previous Innovators Award honorees created the hardware and software that fueled AM’s potential and growth. By honoring Andy, AMUG recognizes innovations in applications that converted potential into progress. For as long as I can remember, Andy has spearheaded AM firsts in the medical space. His impact in the medical arena has spread far and wide.”

In 2000, Andy founded Medical Modeling Inc., a medical-device-focused 3D printing service bureau, following exposure to rapid prototyping technology in the prior decade. Medical Modeling worked closely with surgeons and medical device manufacturers to create entirely new toolsets in patient-specific anatomic modeling, virtual surgical planning, personalized surgical guides & implants, and applying metal 3D printing to orthopedic implant applications.

Andy and his team contributed to the care of tens of thousands of patients, several medical and regulatory “firsts,” and numerous high-profile cases, including more than two dozen sets of conjoined twins. Working as a contract manufacturer, Medical Modeling produced the first FDA-cleared, 3D-printed titanium implants in the orthopedic and spine spaces.

Medical Modeling was acquired by 3D Systems Corporation in 2014. Andy left in 2015, yet he continues to drive additive manufacturing applications in the medical space. Andy said, “My current interests are in tackling some of the bigger issues affecting the industry, including providing support to hospitals as they work to establish their 3D printing labs and gaining insurance reimbursement for 3D printing-enabled technologies.”

Today, Andy serves in many roles that support others in the quest for innovations and breakthroughs. He is the chair of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) 3D Printing Special Interest Group (SIG), associate editor for the 3D Printing in Medicine journal, and adjunct professor in the Department of Radiology at the University of Cincinnati. Andy is also an active investor and serves as a board member and advisor for a few health-related enterprises.

On Wednesday, April 6, 2022, Mr. Christensen will take the stage for a casual, conversational interview during the AMUG Conference. In this Innovators Showcase, he will respond to questions asked by the host and conference attendees with the intent of getting to know the man behind the innovations and gaining guidance from his experiences. The Innovators Showcase is unique in that it is structured to be an intimate conversation between two acquaintances witnessed by AMUG Conference attendees.

Designed for novice and experienced additive manufacturing users, the AMUG Conference agenda topics range from technology basics to advanced applications to business considerations. Although the agenda is still in development, AMUG anticipates having nearly 150 presentations, panels, workshops, and hands-on training sessions. The AMUG Conference will be held April 3 – 7, 2022, at the Hilton Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Conference details and registration are available at www.amug.com.