Overview: Our Laboratory of Biomaterials, Drug Delivery, Bionanotechnology and Molecular Recognition has been the leading group and pacesetter in the field of drug delivery and controlled release, a field that has been developed into a mature area of scholarly and applied research. In addition we have had extensive contributions in biomaterials and bionanotechnology, and have contributed seminal work in the field of feedback controlled biomedical devices. The multidisciplinary approach of this research in bionanotechnology and 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. Our contributions have been translated into more than twenty medical products with multibillion dollar markets.

Fundamentals of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Transport Systems: The fundamentals and rational design of drug delivery systems and biomaterials have been set by our group over the past 35 years. In its very early days, drug delivery was an empirical field where the selection of components for successful formulations was based on a heuristic approach. Peppas and collaborators were the first to set the theories and equations that led to the design of a wide range of new systems. For example, using biomedical engineering principles and new biomedical transport theories, they developed the equations that describe Fickian and non-Fickian diffusion in controlled release devices. The “Peppas equation” has become the standard method of analysis of any pharmaceutical device. Using the modeling similarities of phase erosion and state erosion, they developed a unified models for all drug delivery systems. Similarly, they developed the theoretical framework for the analysis of transport through crosslinked biomaterials (the Peppas-Reinhart theory), ionic hydrogels (the Brannon-Peppas theory), and gel-tissue interactions via tethers (the Huang-Peppas theory and the Sahlin-Peppas equation). For the impact of these theories and analyses, Dr. Peppas has been recognized as the most cited and highly published author in “drug delivery”, “biomaterials and drug delivery”, and “intelligent materials” based on the information provided by the Web of Science ® (2006). He has also ranked as one of the most cited scientists and engineers with an H-index of 62. The H-index recognizes the most highly prolific and cited authors and researchers in the world.

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Devices: Applications of these theories have had significant impact in the development of new biomedical systems and devices. Peppas and his students originated the novel muco- and bioadhesive systems that interact molecularly with the mucus and tissue and have been able to prolong bioavailability of proteins and peptides in the blood. As a result of his work, a number of biomedical polymers and commercial delivery devices have been launched. For example, our group was the first to develop novel toxic-free poly(vinyl alcohol) gels by the freezing-thawing technique in 1975. These gels became very successful articular cartilage replacement systems. In 1978, the group developed the same systems for in situ replacement of vocal cords, a successful medical procedure that remained in practice until the late 1990s and assisted about 45,000 patients.

Intelligent Hydrogels: This laboratory group pioneered (1979) the use of hydrogels in drug delivery applications, including epidermal bioadhesive systems and systems for the release of theophylline, proxyphylline, diltiazem, and oxprenolol. Perhaps the most important development of our labs has been the new technologies of oral delivery systems for insulin and other proteins. These devices release insulin orally, “protecting” the insulin throughout its transport in the stomach, upper small intestine, and, eventually, blood, and bypassing diabetics’ need for several daily injections. Dr. Peppas’ group has shown that these new systems exhibit very high bioavailability. This is the first time that an oral system has been shown to be effective for oral delivery of proteins, especially insulin. In fact, the same technology has been used for the transmucosal (oral, buccal) delivery of calcitonin (for treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women) and interferon-alpha (for cancer therapy), and is presently investigated for interferon-beta release for multiple sclerotic patients. In tests on over 1500 rats and dogs that were given capsules containing microspheres of this new biomaterial carrier, high bioavailability was determined.

Intelligent, Feedback Control-Based Systems: Dr. Peppas was one of the pioneers of intelligent biomaterials, and medical devices. Using intelligent polymers as early as 1980, the Peppas group were the first to use such pH-sensitive and temperature-sensitive systems for modulated release of streptokinase and other fibrinolytic enzymes. In the 1990s and in this century, Dr. Peppas became the main proponent of the use of intelligent systems in the medical field. Physiologically-controlled and disease-responsive, feedback control-based devices require the operation/function of electrical and mechanical parts as a result of on-line measurement of physiological variables of the body, blood or other biological fluids. Peppas utilized the basics of biomedical transport phenomena, control theory, and kinetic behavior to design novel devices and to optimize their behavior in the body or in contact with the body. Adjustment of appropriate components of these devices was based on simple or sophisticated control or other physiological based models. To this end, Dr. Peppas and his group have investigated the biocompatibility of all components of these devices and have provided knowledge of cellular response mechanisms that may be related to changes in immunological status, physical tissue damage. Research in physiologically-responsive devices has sought to show how it is possible to use classical and biomedical engineering principles, mathematics, transport phenomena and control theory to design devices and artificial organs, often based on "intelligent materials," which are responsive to changes in the surrounding environment. Dr. Peppas developed feedback control devices, such as glucose-sensitive microsensors that can respond to abnormal glucose levels by releasing incorporated insulin to the blood at desired rates. Such feedback control systems could be perfected for use in treatment of diabetes. In addition, he developed temperature-sensitive devices that can be used for treatment of malaria by release of antipyretics. A natural consequence of this work was his founding of Mimetic Solutions, a company that commercializes these devices and is in the forefront of intelligent device and bioMEMs development.

Celebration of the Founding of AICHE 100 Years Ago with article in the chemical heritage foundation magazine by Nicholas Peppas (Fall 2008) (click here)

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Past PhD Students and Postdoctoral Fellows

Professor Nicholas Peppas is the recipient of the 2010 Distinguished Scientist Award from the Southeastern Universities Research Association (SURA). He is cited for pioneering contributions to biomedical engineering, biomaterials, polymer sciences and drug delivery. The award will be presented to him at the SURA Board of Trustees meeting in Duke University on March 10, 2010 and includes a $20,000 honorarium. More information about the award can be found here. (link)

Professor Nicholas Peppas will receive the 2010 Maurice Marie Janot Award. This award is the highest European recognition in the field of pharmaceutical sciences. It was established in 1986 by the European Pharmaceutical Society APGI and it is sponsored by Aventis Pharma. The award recognizes an international researcher for the quality, innovation and pioneering impact of his/her research work in pharmaceutical sciences over a ten year period. The award will be given on the occasion of the International APGI Congress in Malta in March 2010. At the opening session of the Malta meeting Professor Peppas will give the Janot lecture. (link) Maurice Marie Janot (1903-78) was a towering figure of pharmaceutical sciences who was responsible for the education of several generations of French scientists. Professor Peppas was a Visiting Professor of Pharmacy at the University Paris-Sud in 1986-87 and has continued collaboration with Professors Puisieux, Duchene and Couvreur for 28 years.

Professor Peppas will be giving one of the plenary lectures at the at the First Global Congress on NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology to be held in Houston on February 7-10, 2010. (link)

The University of Texas at Austin Department of Biomedical Engineering is among a consortium of leading research entities from across the United States selected to receive up to $11.6 million from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to establish a center to conduct innovative cancer research. Nicholas Peppas is a co-PI of this grant. (link)    

On Sunday, October 11, 2009, Professor Nicholas Peppas was inducted to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences along with the IOM Class of 2008. Previously, he had been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). On Monday, October 12, 2009,  the  Class of 2009 of new IOM members was announced. The class includes the former student and postdoctoral fellow of Professor Peppas, Professor Kristi Anseth of the University of Colorado.

Professor Nicholas Peppas was featured as a chemical engineering educator in the latest issue of the Chemical Engineering Education magazine of the ChE Division of ASEE. The article was written by former students Professor Jennifer Sinclair Curtis, now Chair of Chemical Engineering at the University of Florida, and Christopher Bowman, now Associate Dean of Engineering at the University of Colorado (link).

Professor Nicholas Peppas and former Ph.D. student Irma Yolanda Sanchez, now a professor at the Tecnologico de Monterrey, are featured in a video about novel glucose-responsive insulin delivery systems (link). They received the 2008 Premio Rómulo Garza of Mexico for this research (link).

Professor Nicholas Peppas was selected as the recipient of the 2009 Alan S. Michaels Distinguished Lectureship in Medical and Biological Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on April 3, 2009. (link)  The history and previous recipients of this award can be found here. (link)  He spoke about "Recognition and Delivery: The Next Generation of Medical Microdevices". A Webcast is available here (link) and a news article summarizing the lecture is here. (link)

Nicholas Peppas gave the Kewaunee Lectureship in the Biomedical Engineering Department of Duke University of Durham, NC on April 23, 2009. (link)

Nicholas Peppas was selected to the Academy of Chemical Engineers of the Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Missouri on April 16, 2009. (link) He presented two lectures on "Recognition and Delivery: The Next Generation of Medical Microdevices" and on "Addressing Educational Problems in an Evolving, Global and Challenging Chemical Engineering World" during his induction.

Former students and colleagues of professor Nicholas Peppas presented him recently with the March 2009 issue of the leading journal Pharmaceutical Research (link) which contained a Festschrift (link) on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Edited by Professor Mark Byrne of Auburn University (link) and prefaced by Professor Antonios Mikos of Rice University (link), this issue contained 12 review and original articles on bionanotechnology, biomimetics, therapeutic conjugates and pharmaceutical sciences.

On the occasion of his election to IOM, the Controlled Release Society published an interview of Professor Peppas with the CRS Newsletter editors. The interview covered numerous points related to the history of the field and Peppas' contributions to the rational design of drug delivery systems. It was published in the January issue of this newsletter. (link)

On Monday, October 13, 2008, Professor Nicholas Peppas was elected a member of the  Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences (link).  Previously, he had been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). More>

Professors Nicholas Peppas and Don Paul were selected by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) as winners of the 2008 Founders Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Chemical Engineering. In 2008, the Institute’s Centennial year, AIChE also honored two more chemical engineers with the Founders Award (Professors Morton Denn of CUNY and Robert Langer of MIT). Presentation of this award took place at the Institute’s Honors Ceremony, held during AIChE’s 2008 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in November 2008.

Professors Nicholas Peppas, George Georgiou, Keith Johnston and James Fair were selected as four of the One Hundred Engineers of the Modern Era by the Centennial Committee of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) on the occasion of the AIChE Centennial. Official presentation of this award took place at the annual AIChE meeting in Philadelphia in November 2008 (link). The list of One Hundred Engineers includes also five others of Professor Peppas' collaborators: former student Kristi Anseth, Distinguished Professor at the University of Colorado, and collaborators Robert Langer, Institute Professor of MIT,  Cato Laurencin, Dean of Medicine and Vice President at the University of Connecticut, David Edwards of Harvard University and Buddy Ratner of the University of Washington at Seattle. In addition, his PhD advisor Ed Merrill and postdoctoral mentor Clark Colton, both of MIT, are included in the same list.

Professor Peppas has been appointed Associate Editor of the AIChE Journal effective September 1, 2008 (link).

Nicholas Peppas has been elected to the Board of the Biomedical Engineering Society for the period 2008-11 (link).

At the 8th World Congress of Biomaterials in Amsterdam (May 2008) Nicholas Peppas was elected President of the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering. His term is from 2008 to 2012 (link). The IUSBSE is a body that brings together national and multi-national groups dedicated to the advancement of biomaterials, surgical implants, prosthetics, artificial organs, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. It currently includes members from Canada, the United States, the European Union, China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and Latin America.

Nicholas Peppas has been elected a Fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) in recognition of his commitment and excellence in engineering education. The official induction took place at the ASEE meeting in Pittsburgh, PA, on Wednesday, June 25, 2008. (link)

Nicholas Peppas was elected a Fellow of the Materials Research Society (MRS) in the 2008 inaugural class of Fellows. This new grade recognizes a few MRS members who are notable for their distinguished research accomplishments and their outstanding contributions to the advancement of materials research, world-wide. The official induction took place on March 26 during the MRS meeting in San Francisco. (link)

Nicholas Peppas was selected as the recipient of the 2008 Pierre Galletti Award of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. The Pierre Galletti Award is considered the most prestigious award in biomedical engineering. Peppas was recognized "for seminal contributions and visionary leadership in biomaterials science and engineering, and for pioneering work on drug delivery that has led to numerous biomedical products or devices". (link)

Nicholas Peppas has been selected as a Highly Cited Researcher^SM by ISIHighlyCited.com of Thomson Scientific and the Institute of Scientific Information. Being acknowledged as a Highly Cited Researcher means that an individual is among the 250 most cited researchers for their published articles. Citation is a direct measure of influence on the literature of a subject, and it is also a strong indicator of scientific contribution, since it is derived from pattern of interaction among millions of published articles. (link)