Research

Protein Engineering

This area of the lab involves making new proteins that target specific cell types or tissues. For example, we engineered an anti-inflammatory cytokine drug (IL-10) by making it bind to low-density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad cholesterol") in the blood. Upon injection, the engineering IL-10 binds LDL and hitchhikes a ride to atherosclerotic plaques to reduce vascular inflammation. Read about our work published in Nature Biomedical Engineering (bioRxiv preprint).

Surface-functionalized polymersomes produce a robust cellular and antibody response in mice.

Biomaterials

This area of the lab uses natural or synthetic polymers to create targeted nanoparticles with immunomodulatory effects. As an example, we created a vaccine with the antigen chemically conjugated to the surface of polymer vesicles. We are currently exploring different techniques to decorate the surface of the particles with targeting moieties. Read more about our vaccine project. Read about our newest work on PEG-lipid shedding.