[4] Following his PhD, Guilak joined the faculty at Duke University as an assistant professor and shortly thereafter became the director of research for the Division of Orthopedic Surgery.
[5] Shortly after joining the faculty, Guilak was honored with the Kappa Delta Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons for his study of cartilage cells and discovery of how they responded to stress on the joint.
[8] Based on this research, Guilak found a way to create artificial replacement tissue with durable hydrogels that mimics both the strength and flexibility of native cartilage.
[14] The following year, Guilak earned his second Kappa Delta award for his study of post-traumatic arthritis and the development of therapeutic approaches that target inflammation following injury.
[6] In 2016, Guilak left Duke to join the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) as co-director of the new Center of Regenerative Medicine and director of research at Shriners Hospitals for Children.
In February 2022, Guilak was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering "for contributions to regenerative medicine and mechanobiology and their application to the development of clinical therapies.
"[23] In December 2022, Guilak was elected a member of the National Academy of Inventors for his contributions to entrepreneurship and inventions on the development of new drug, cell, and gene therapies for arthritis.
[24] In 2008, Guilak's 3D weaving system was exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) as part of a display on "Design and the Elastic Mind",[25] an arts exhibit by Paola Antonelli, seeking to "highlight examples of successful translation of disruptive innovation, examples based on ongoing research, as well as reflections on the future responsibilities of design.