Professor Alan Cottenden Receives the 2017 John J. Humpal Award from The Simon Foundation for Continence

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The John J. Humpal award was presented to Professor Cottenden at the Simon Foundation for Continence’s sixth biennial Innovating for Continence: The Engineering Challenge conference, 2017 at the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, in Chicago’s city center.

Presenting the 2017 John J. Humpal award to Professor Alan Cottenden, PhD was Christopher Payne, MD, Emeritus Professor of Urology at Stanford University. As he presented the award, Dr. Payne stated, "We are so fortunate that many years ago, a young engineer made a potentially suicidal career decision to focus his attention on the incontinence world. What a difference he has made! His own research has had great impact but his value to the field has been multiplied many times over through his tireless efforts at education throughout the professional spectrum. Doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, and scientists have trained with Alan. Most importantly, Alan has consistently shown the ability to connect those from differing fields to produce new insights and new incontinence products that help patients."

Professor Cottenden is the Technical Director of the Continence and Skin Technology Group, University College London, England. In addition, he serves as a Simon Foundation for Continence Advisory Board member; is the Chair of the Organizing Committee for the biennial “Incontinence: The Engineering Challenge” conferences run by the UK Institution of Mechanical Engineers; and is Chair of Committee 20 (Management Using Continence Products) of the World Health Organization’s International Consultation on Incontinence.

Involved in continence technology R&D for over 30 years, Professor Cottenden has engaged in diverse projects from fundamental and applied physical and life sciences research through translational research work, commercial consultancy, product design and development, and international standards work. He has published more than 250 scientific and clinical publications, refereed conference contributions and patents, given over 100 invited lectures, and facilitated and chaired numerous academic, clinical, commercial and charity events in the UK and overseas.

Professor Cottenden also has led the Innovating for Continence series of international meetings as Chair since they began in 2007.

Upon receiving the award, Professor Cottenden remarked, "I am honored to receive this award from my peers. Working with them has been not only inspirational, but it has also been a lot of fun!”

The John J. Humpal Award is named in honor of the Simon Foundation for Continence’s first chairman of its Governing Board. Professor Humpal was a professor at the University of Chicago Business in Organizational Development. Professor Humpal, until his death in 1990, gave above and beyond to the cause of promoting continence.

About the Simon Foundation for Continence

The Simon Foundation for Continence, located in Chicago, Illinois, USA, is a 501(c)(3) corporation whose mission is: to bring the topic of incontinence into the open; remove the stigma associated with incontinence; and provide help and hope to individuals with incontinence, their families, and the professionals who provide their care. The Simon Foundation for Continence is the world’s oldest patient-led organization devoted exclusively to incontinence, having been founded in 1982. The Foundation’s mission is supported by an Advisory Board of professionals, many of whom have dedicated their careers to improving the clinical treatment of incontinence and advancing medical science through bladder and bowel research. To learn more about the Foundation, visit their main website at http://www.simonfoundation.org.

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Elizabeth LaGro
The Simon Foundation for Continence
since: 10/2009
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