Nicholas A. Peppas, Ph.D.

	Donald E. Owens III Graduate Student The University of Texas at Austin 1 University Station, MC C0400 Chemical Engineering Dept. Austin, TX 78712 PHONE: (512) 471-4757 dowens2@mail.utexas.edu / Resumé
Background Summary
I am originally from Bloomington, Indiana. I attended Purdue University where I received my B.S. in Chemical Engineering with an Honor’s thesis in the “Nanoscale Molding of Nanostructured Carbon Powders and Thin Films” advised by Professor Hugh W. Hillhouse. During this time I also had the opportunity to spend a semester of study abroad at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Upon graduating from Purdue University I entered the Chemical Engineering PhD program of the University of Texas at Austin in the fall semester of 2003.

Research Summary
My research area focuses on the development of metal-polymer nanocomposites as externally triggered intelligent therapeutic systems. The purposed system, which is schematically illustrated in Figure 1, is a nanocomposite particle system comprised of a gold nanoparticle core surrounded by a thermally responsive polymer layer that can encapsulate and release a desired therapeutic agent. This entire system is then surface functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains to impart improved biocompatibility and stealth properties as well as to allow the possibility of both passive and active targeting capabilities. The gold nanoparticle core can be tuned to absorb wavelengths of light anywhere from the visible to near infrared regions, which have higher penetration depths in vivo, depending on the type and size of the encapsulated gold particle. This absorbed light energy is then converted to heat locally which causes the thermal expansion of the surrounding polymer and hence the release of any encapsulated agents. The specific aims of this research include: The synthesis and characterization of thermally responsive polymer nanoparticles The synthesis and characterization of metal nanoparticles The successful encapsulation and optimization of metal particles within thermally responsive polymer particles. Surface fictionalization of metal-polymer nanocomposites with PEG chains. Light activated swelling of metal-polymer nanocomposites. Controlled release from light activated metal-polymer nanocomposites. Figure 1. A schematic illustration of the proposed intelligent therapeutic system.

Publications
B. Eggiman, D.E. Owens III, V. Urade, and H.W. Hillhouse, “Synthesis of Highly Ordered Cubic Phase Mesoporous Carbon Thin Films”, Chemical Communications, “submitted”. D.E. Owens III and N.A. Peppas, “Opsonization, Biodistribution, and Pharmacokinetics of Polymeric Nanoparticles”, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 307, 93-102, 2006. D.E. Owens III and N.A. Peppas, “Temperature-Sensitive Polymer-Gold Nanocomposites as Intelligent Therapeutic Systems”, in N.A. Peppas and J.Z. Hilt, eds., Advances in Bionanotechnology, 223-227, AIChE, New York, NY, 2005.

Patents Pending
D.E. Owens III and N.A. Peppas, “Temperature-Sensitive Nanoparticles for Controlled Drug Delivery”, U.S. Patent Application No. 60/722,311. Filed: September 29, 2005.

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