MSE PhD Final Defense: Erik Schiferle

MSE PhD Final Defense: Erik Schiferle

TITLE: Polymeric Nanoparticles: Studies Towards Targeted Drug Delivery of HIV Therapeutics and Characterization of Environmental Impacts

ADVISOR: Björn Reinhard CHEM, MSE

COMMITTEE: Suryaram Gummuluru Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine: Virology, Immunology & Microbiology; Zandrea Ambrose Professor of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh; Catherine Klapperich BME, MSE, ME; Chair: Jörg Werner ME, MSE

ABSTRACT: Nanoparticles are often categorized as ‘primary’ or ‘secondary,’ depending on whether they are nanoscale in size by design or the result of an environmental weathering process, respectively. Primary polymeric nanoparticles have garnered significant attention for applications in nanomedicine and a wide range of consumer products, due in part to their tunable properties, large surface-to-volume ratio, and size complementarity with biological structures. For example, polymeric nanoparticles can be utilized as drug carriers with programmable release characteristics and engineered for tissue-specific targeting. However, it has become increasingly clear that the properties that make polymeric nanoparticles attractive for therapeutic use can have unintended consequences if released in large quantities into the environment. Secondary nanoplastics, formed from plastic debris—often non-biodegradable—in the oceans, represent a significant hazard. Two aspects of this hazard are the cellular responses associated with the ingestion of nanoplastics and their role as vehicles for otherwise water-insoluble carcinogens. This work aims to explore the advantages of intentionally synthesized and well-characterized polymeric nanoparticles for drug delivery applications and to highlight the urgent need to address the potential implications of nanoplastic pollution on the environment, animal life, and public health.

When 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm on 19 September 2025
Building PHO 117