NSF CAREER award for Michelle Teplensky, emerging leader in immunotherapeutic design
By Patrick L. Kennedy
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has named Assistant Professor Michelle Teplensky (BME, MSE) among the recipients of the 2026 Faculty Early Career Development awards—better known as the CAREER awards—for her proposal to develop innovative biomaterials to help steer immune cells toward the right targets. The project can set the stage for advanced immunotherapies and regenerative medicines.
The CAREER awards are prestigious, highly competitive grants given annually to early-career researchers who have shown the potential to be leaders in their fields. Teplensky, who is also a 2026 Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE) Rising Star, brings her expertise in nanomaterials and immune engineering to the study of cellular events and the development of improved therapeutics and vaccines to treat and prevent cancer and infectious diseases.
To reach their targets, immune cells follow a sort of string of chemical signals, almost like a map. Known in this context as gradients, these signals are a critical component of the body’s fight against infections. But that system doesn’t always work as intended. In fact, in some autoimmune disorders, it actively backfires.
With the CAREER funds, Teplensky and the students in her interdisciplinary lab are using biomaterials to create specific kinds of gradients. “This is a powerful idea, because if we can program the locations and gradients of these chemical cues, we can make immune cells move in precise, programmed ways,” says Teplensky.
To encase the chemical cues (also known as chemokines) safely as they travel through the body, the team is working on novel, hybrid nanomaterials. “We’re excited to develop new types of biomaterials that merge the benefits of hydrogels—soft, jelly-like materials—with porous, cage-like nanoparticles that will protect the chemokines from degradation,” Teplensky says. The platform will also enable clinicians and patients to control the timing of the release of the immunotherapies.
Moreover, Teplensky expects the research to uncover design principles that explain how cells move—insights that future researchers can draw upon to develop further innovative nanomedicines. “We’re very grateful to the National Science Foundation for recognizing the importance of this highly interdisciplinary research,” Teplensky says.
Some of the CAREER funds will also enable STEM outreach efforts, including meetings with veterans’ groups. Teplensky and colleagues will engage with veterans that have various immune disorders, and work to ensure that the research meets their needs. “We’re excited,” says Teplensky. “We have identified ways to integrate our cutting-edge research with educational initiatives and broader societal participation to ultimately benefit more people.”