BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:America/New_York X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York BEGIN:VEVENT UID:0-8161@eng.ufl.edu DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260224T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260224T150000 DTSTAMP:20260224T134129Z URL:https://www.eng.ufl.edu/news-events/events/ohanian-lecture-seminar-dr- paula-hammond/ SUMMARY:Ohanian Lecture Seminar - Dr. Paula Hammond (CANCELLED) DESCRIPTION:CANCELLED.\n \;\nElectrostatic Nano-Assemblies for Biomedic ine\nOver recent years\, our lab has developed the use of electrostatic la yer-by-layer (LbL) assembly as a means of modifying the surfaces of nanopa rticles for biomedical applications. The nature of these alternating charg e-based coatings is highly dependent on assembly conditions\, polymer char ge density\, polyelectrolyte composition and molecular weight. We have dem onstrated that the selection of the outer polyanion layer determines and i mpacts characteristics such as stealth properties\, protein association\, cellular interactions and even intracellular trafficking. The use of synth etic polypeptides\, polysaccharides and native biomolecular systems can gr eatly influence the ability of these LbL nanoparticles to exhibit extended plasma half-life\, penetrate tumor tissues\, and target specific cell typ es including immune and tumor cells. We have developed simple electrostati c bilayer coatings that lead to high affinity to cancer cells while mainta ining sufficiently low interactions with healthy cells to enable highly ef ficient tumor targeting. These systems can be designed to enhance transpor t across barriers such as the blood-brain barrier\, properties that can be further enhanced through the complementary adsorption of additional targe ting peptides of opposite charge. On the other hand\, these nanolayered as semblies can be modified to modulate cell-particle interactions and facili tate transport through tissue while still enabling desirable specificity o f cell association. Furthermore\, it is possible to use these approaches t o modify the uptake and transfection of mRNA lipid nanoparticles in a mann er that enables a modular approach to targeting utilizing different polyel ectrolytes. An overview of these approaches and their use to address ovari an cancer\, glioblastoma and other biomedical applications will be discuss ed.\nProfessor Paula T. Hammond is Institute Professor at the Massachusett s Institute of Technology and a member of MIT’s Koch Institute for Integ rative Cancer Research. She serves as dean of the MIT School of Engineerin g. Previously\, she served as executive vice provost and vice provost for faculty from 2024 to January 2026 and as department head of chemical engin eering from 2015 to 2023. Hammond investigates electrostatic polymer syste ms for targeted drug delivery\, including thin-film coatings that release proteins to regenerate bone\, wound dressings that release RNA to support healing\, and nanoparticles designed to bind specifically to tumors for ca ncer treatment. Her research has focused particularly on developing new th erapies for ovarian cancer that activate the immune system to address both primary and recurrent tumors. She earned her S.B. and Ph.D. in chemical e ngineering from MIT and her M.S. in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology\, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in chemist ry at Harvard University. Hammond was elected to the National Academy of M edicine in 2016\, the National Academy of Engineering in 2017\, and the Na tional Academy of Sciences in 2019\, and she was named to the 2013 class o f the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In January 2025\, she receive d the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. She is also a member of the National Academy of Inventors. Her honors include the Margaret H. Wri ght Rousseau Pioneer Award for Lifetime Achievement by a Woman Chemical En gineer\, the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry from the Franklin Instit ute\, and the 2025 Othmer Gold Medal. Hammond is a former member of the sc ientific advisory board of Moderna Therapeutics and currently serves on th e boards of Alector Therapeutics and Sail Biomedicines. She also serves on the board of the MIT Engine and was a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology from 2021 to 2025. CATEGORIES:Seminars LOCATION:Malachowsky Hall\, NVIDIA Auditorium\, 1889 Museum Road\, Gainesvi lle\, FL\, 32611\, United States X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=1889 Museum Road\, Gainesvi lle\, FL\, 32611\, United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Malachowsky Ha ll\, NVIDIA Auditorium:geo:0,0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20251102T010000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR