9/22/2017 Laura Schmitt
Written by Laura Schmitt
Illinois Bioengineering faculty members Kristopher Kilian and Dipanjan Pan were named 2017 Young Innovators of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE). In all, 11 young faculty worldwide are receiving this honor, which was officially announced in the October 2017 issue of CMBE’s research journal.
Kris Kilian and his research group explore how both natural and synthetic materials influence the signaling that controls cell fate and function. His research interests include the design and development of model extracellular matrices for cell engineering and fundamental studies in cell biology.
In his latest work, which is featured in CMBE’s journal, Kilian shows that matrix mechanics influences the phosphorylation state and cellular localization of histone deacetylase HDAC4. This work demonstrates how enzymes involved in the regulation of gene expression within cells are influenced by the surrounding environment, and may provide clues to how the properties of tissue directs normal and pathological processes.
Among his other awards, Kilian is a 2008 recipient of the NIH Ruth L. Kirchstein National Research Service Award, a 2014 Kavli Fellow of the 19th German-American Frontiers of Science, and a 2015 recipient of the National Science Foundation’s CAREER award. He earned his doctorate from the University of New South Wales in Sydney Australia.
A recognized expert in nanomedicine, molecular imaging, and drug delivery, Dipanjan Pan develops novel materials for biomedical applications and targeted therapies for stem-like cancer cell and phenotypically screened nanomedicine platforms.
In his latest research, which appears in the October CMBE journal, Pan demonstrated the enhanced efficacy of a cocktail of agents delivered intracellularly from multi-compartment carbon nanoparticles as compared to the intracellular nanoparticle delivery of individual agents. This work can help quickly identify appropriate dosing regimens for various cancers and diseases.
Pan holds multiple patents, is involved in several ongoing clinical trials, and is the founder of three university-based early-stage start-ups. He is a recipient of the 2016 Nano-Micro Letter (NML) Researcher award and is an elected fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, American College of Cardiology, and the American Heart Association. He earned his doctorate from the Indian Institute of Technology.
In addition to their research being featured in the CMBE journal, the 2017 CMBE Young Innovators will present their recent research findings at a special session of the 2017 Biomedical Engineering Society annual meeting on October 13 in Phoenix.