Yeo lab
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One of the major obstacles in translating potent drug candidates from bench to bedside is delivery. For example, small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been recognized as a promising new class of drugs for viral infections, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer; however, its therapeutic potential has not been realized because of the instability in circulation. Target-specific delivery of anti-cancer drugs with minimal side effects on normal tissues has long been a goal for cancer therapy, but their clinical application remains challenging. Research topics in my lab will focus on developing drug/gene delivery systems which can address these challenges in ‘delivery.’ Specific projects involve (i) addressing the obstacles in siRNA delivery using formulation approaches, (ii) developing nanoparticles which mimic leukocyte-rolling behavior for tumor targeting, and (iii) developing inhalable microparticles which allows for delivering combinations of drugs for cystic fibrosis therapy. Graduate students who join my lab will be encouraged to take classes related to biomaterials, controlled drug delivery, pharmacokinetics, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, cell biology, microscopy, and flow cytometry, in addition to the core classes of IPPH. Students working toward their thesis projects are expected to acquire expertise in micro-nanoencapsulation, spray-drying, bioconjugation, cell culture, microscopy, microbiolgical tests, and small animal experiments. If there are new graduate students who are interested in the above projects, I would like to meet with them to discuss the details during my stay in Lafayette between September 29th (Friday) and 30th (Saturday). Please have those interested contact me by email (yoonyeo@mit.edu or yyeo@pharmacy.purdue.edu) so we can set up an appointment. |
