Principal Investigator
Dr. Edith Mathiowitz
Dr. Edith Mathiowitz is a full Professor of Medical Science and Engineering at Brown University in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Her extensive experience includes development of polymers that are used in drug and gene delivery systems and tissue engineering applications. Following her undergraduate degree in physical chemistry and graduate school at the Weizmann institute of science, Dr. Mathiowitz trained as a postdoctoral associate with Professor Robert Langer at MIT.
Dr. Mathiowitz directs an interdisciplinary laboratory that focuses on developing smart delivery systems based on bioadhesive polymers, which enhance the non-specific interaction with intestinal mucosa by inducing reversible secondary bonds and prolonging the residence time of traditional and novel oral dosage forms. She has been a pioneer in the area of nanomedicine by developing spontaneously forming biodegradable nanoparticles that in contrast to traditional thinking that mucosal barrier will prevent those particles from even passing the mucosal tissue. They can be engineered by combining hydrophobic polymers with high concentration of carboxylic acid, penetrate mucosal barriers and deliver active biologics. These nanoparticles are being used as cancer vaccines as well as for the oral delivery of peptides and proteins. In addition, she has experience with polymers, vascular grafts, and micro/nanoencapsulation. Edith Mathiowitz is devoted to using a combination of basic scientific concepts in interfacial biophysics and applying them to improving health.
Staff
Graduate Students
Kosta Milovanovic
PhD Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
ScM Biotechnology, Brown University
BS Biomedical Sciences, University of South Florida
Email: kosta_milovanovic@brown.edu
Zakhar Lyakhovych
PhD Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
ScM Biomedical Engineering, Brown University
BS Bioengineering, Stony Brook University
Research Interests: I work on loading biomedical polymers with drugs while trying to maximize their bioadhesive properties through a variety of drug choices, polymer formulations, and processing methods resulting in varying muco-adhesive properties.
Email: zakhar_lyakhovych@brown.edu
Jingge Chen
PhD Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
MS Electrical Engineering
BS Biomedical Engineering
Research Interests: I’m interested in exploring polymer morphology to customize therapeutic delivery systems.
Email: jingge_chen@brown.edu
David Shafiei, Esq.
ScM Candidate, Biotechnology
JD, Rutgers Law School
BA, Cell Biology & Neuroscience, Rutgers University
Research Interests: I am currently working on a transdermal drug delivery system incorporating mesophase and a patentability overlay.
Email: david_shafiei@brown.edu
Jelynn Tatad
ScM Candidate, Biotechnology
ScB Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Brown University
Thesis Title: Morphological Characterization of Polymeric Blends
Research Interests: I’m currently investigating ways to induce different polymer morphologies and characterizing their effects on hydrophobic drug release kinetics.
Email: jelynn_ellianna_tatad@brown.edu
Hena Haque
ScM Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
BS Biochemistry with a minor in Mathematics, Simmons University
Research Interests: I’m interested in researching nanomedicine, biomaterials, and regenerative medicine.
Email: hena_haque@brown.edu
Michael DeSantis
ScM Candidate, Biomedical Engineering
BS Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Research Interests: I’m interested in researching drug delivery, nanoparticles use in drug delivery, and pharmacology.
Email: michael_desantis@brown.edu
Liston Augustine Dsouza
ScM Candidate, Biotechnology
PharmD, Manipal Academy of Higher Education
Research Interests: I am interested in working on advancing drug delivery systems through the study of polymer science.
Email: liston_dsouza@brown.edu
Floor Keuning
ScM Candidate, Biotechnology
BSc Neuroscience, Erasmus University
Research Interests: TBD!
Email: floor_keuning@brown.edu
Scott La Tour
ScM Candidate, Biotechnology
BS Biological Sciences, University of California Irvine
Research Interests: TBD!
Email: scott_la_tour@brown.edu
Undergraduate Students
Tuyetanh Le
ScB Candidate, Chemical Biology
Research Interests:
Email: