Clinically Informed Natural and Synthetic Polymers: From Modified Self-amplifying RNA for Ultra-low Dose Vaccines to Polymeric Hydrogels for Wound Management by Prof Mark Grinstaff (Boston University)

Join us in the IAS STEM Graduate Colloquium on 8 July 2024 (Mon), 2pm at LT7 North Spine by our distinguished speaker, Prof Mark Grindstaff, the William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor, and a Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, and Medicine at Boston University. 

About the talk

As an academic chemist and engineer working in interdisciplinary research, I ask questions all the time – from the most basic (how do we design small molecules to enable the synthesis of advanced polymeric materials?) to the most translational (how do we take a laboratory discovery to the clinic?). Through this process, I challenge myself as well as my students and fellows to determine and elucidate the underlying chemistry and engineering principles. Ideation is key in the laboratory and originates from within the group as well as discussions with leading clinicians. In this lecture, I will share our stories and successes (and failures if asked) in translating ideas from the laboratory to the preclinical and clinic setting. Research areas include the synthesis of unique dendrimers and dendritic-based hydrogels as adhesives for wound management, novel sulfated poly-amido-saccharides as anticoagulants, drug loaded polyglycerol carbonates buttresses for prevention of lung cancer recurrence, large molecular weight polyanions as cartilage lubricants for osteoarthritis treatment, relaxin loaded microparticles for the treatment of frozen shoulder, or modified saRNA as a new potent ultralow dose vaccine. For two of these projects, I will highlight the design requirements, the synthetic routes and characterisation data, and the performance outcomes in in vitro and in vivo experiments.  

Our Distinguished Speaker

Mark W. Grinstaff is the William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor, and a Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering, and Medicine at Boston University. He is also the Director of BU’s Nanotechnology Innovation Center and the Director of the NIH T32 Biomaterials Program. Mark's awards include the ACS Nobel Laureate Signature Award, NSF Career Award, Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences, Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar, Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, the Edward M. Kennedy Award for Health Care Innovation, the Clemson Award for Applied Research, the ACS Award in Applied Polymer Science, and the RSC 2023 Centenary Prize. 

Over the course of his tenure, Grinstaff’s groundbreaking research has yielded more than 400 peer-reviewed publications, more than 200 patents and patent applications, and more than 375 oral presentations. His work has been cited more than 44,500 times. He is a co-founder of several companies and his innovative ideas and his efforts have also led to one new FDA approved pharmaceutical (Abraxane^TM) and four medical device products (OcuSeal^® and Adherus Surgical Sealants^®) that are now the standard of care. His current research activities involve the synthesis of new natural and synthetic macromolecules and biomaterials, self-assembly chemistry, imaging contrast agents, drug delivery, and wound repair.

Co-Organisers

IAS@NTU and the Graduate Students' Clubs of CCEB and SBS