Back to Faculty Directory
peppas@che.utexas.edu
Office Location: BME 3.503C
Nicholas A. Peppas
Professor & Director of the Institute for Biomaterials, Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine
Cockrell Family Regents Chair in Engineering #6
Department Research Area
Drug Discovery and Delivery
Biomaterials
Cell and Tissue Engineering
Research Interests
- Controlled drug delivery
- Biomedical engineering
- Biomaterials
- Tissue engineering
- Molecular modeling of protein structures in contact with biomaterials and tissues
- Modeling of biomedical devices
- Bionanotechnology
- Molecular recognition processes
- Polymer physics
- Polymerization reaction engineering
- Diffusion in polymers
Research Focus
Peppas' research lab contributions have been in several areas of drug delivery, biomaterials, biomolecular engineering, mass transfer, kinetics and reaction engineering, polymers and biomedical engineering. Their multidisciplinary approach in biomolecular engineering blends modern molecular and cellular biology with engineering to generate next-generation systems and devices, including bioMEMS with enhanced applicability, reliability, functionality and longevity.
His group's fundamental studies have provided valuable results on biomaterials design and development. Peppas and his lab is known for their work on the preparation, characterization and evaluation of the behavior of compatible, cross-linked polymers known as hydrogels, which have been used as biocompatible materials and in controlled release devices, especially in controlled delivery of drugs, peptides and proteins, development of novel biomaterials, biomedical transport phenomena, and biointerfacial problems. This work has led to a series of novel controlled release systems known as swelling controlled release systems, a series of pH-sensitive devices for drug delivery and a wide range of bio- and mucoadhesive systems. They include novel systems for insulin delivery to treat Type 1 diabetic patients, calcitonin delivery for osteoporosis treatment, growth hormone delivery, delivery of siRNA for treatment of Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis and celiac disease, treatment of hemophilia by oral Factor IX delivery, new systems for interferon beta delivery for multiple sclerosis treatment, etc.
The research group's other biomedical work involves understanding the transport of biological compounds in tissues, analyzing polymer/tissue interactions, understanding the behavior of biomembranes, and developing intelligent, recognitive systems for protein delivery.
Related Websites
Laboratory of Biomaterials, Drug Delivery and Bionanotechnology
