We are interested in engineering biomaterials with novel polymer chemistries that promote the local and controlled delivery of a variety of therapeutic payloads to the skin including small molecules, nucleic acids, and proteins to treat autoimmune skin diseases, wound healing, and hair loss. Our research advances our understanding of how basic biomaterial and chemical properties affect pharmacokinetic properties and drug delivery in vivo, and we utilize cutting edge spectroscopic approaches to answer these questions. Our goal is to develop novel biomaterial therapeutics with high likelihood of success in the dermatology clinic.

We study biofabrication approaches including 3D printing to generate biocompatible materials that can used to facilitate drug delivery and as scaffolds for tissue engineering. We utilize natural and synthetic polymers that are functionalized with chemistries that influence additional interactions with local environments and drug behavior. Our goal is to leverage our technologies to better control and probe cellular environments, furthering our understanding of processes such as appendage development and wound healing.

Our laboratory focuses on the clinical translation of bioengineered therapies and diagnostic devices. We rigorously test our technology in multiple preclinical models with high translational relevance for a variety of dermatologic diseases. In parallel, we focus on Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to streamline the path from bench to clinic. Our research also explores how therapeutics are metabolized within the skin and systemically, as well as the local and systemic toxicities that can arise from controlled delivery systems.