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Nicholas Peppas Ph.D.

Dr. Peppas focus lies in the area of: Polymer physics; Polymerization reaction engineering; Diffusion in polymers; Controlled drug delivery; Biomedical engineering; Biomaterials; Molecular modeling of protein structures in contact with biomaterials and tissues; Modeling of biomedical devices; Bionanotechnology; Molecular recognition processes.

Our research contributions have been in several areas of drug delivery, biomaterials, biomolecular engineering, mass transfer, kinetics and reaction engineering, polymers and biomedical engineering. The multidisciplinary approach of his research in 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. The fundamental studies of his group have provided valuable results on biomaterials design and development.

Our group is known for our work on the preparation, characterization and evaluation of the behavior of compatible, cross linked polymers known as hydrogels, which have been used as biocompatible materials and in controlled release devices, especially in controlled delivery of drugs, peptides and proteins, development of novel biomaterials, biomedical transport phenomena, and biointerfacial problems. Our polymer research has examined fundamental aspects of the thermodynamics of polymer networks in contact with penetrants, the conformational changes of networks under load or in the presence of a diluent, the anomalous transport of penetrants in glassy polymers, and the kinetics of fast UV-polymerization reactions. In the field of controlled release, his group has provided the fundamental basis for a rational development of such systems. In addition, his work has led to a series of novel controlled release systems known as swelling controlled release systems, a series of pH-sensitive devices for drug delivery and a wide range of bio- and mucoadhesive systems. Other biomedical work of his group had dealt with understanding of transport of biological compounds in tissues, analysis of polymer/tissue interactions, and understanding of the behavior of biomembranes.

Education

Sc. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1973; Dipl. Eng., National Technical University of Athens, Greece, 1971

Awards

Founders Award of the Society for Biomaterials, 2005; Elected Member of the French Academy of Pharmacy, 2005; Research Excellence Award for Best Research Paper, Univ Texas, 2004; Materials Research Society Graduate Research Award, 2003; Capsugel Award for Best Graduate Student Research in Controlled Drug Delivery, 2003; Nagai Foundation Award for Research, 2003; Outstanding Chemical Engineer Award, School of Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, 2002; Distinguished Service Award, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue Universit, 2002; President of the Society for Biomaterials, 2003.; Dale Wurster Award in Pharmaceutics, AAPS, 2002; Newsmaker of the Year, ACS, 2002; Eurand Award for Life Achievements in Oral Drug Delivery, CRS, 2002; Sigma Xi University-wide Research Award, Purdue University, 2002; Chorafas Award, Best Dissertation of the University, 2002; General Electric, Senior Research Award, ASEE, 2000; Herbert McCoy Award, Highest Research Achievement, Purdue University, 2000; Heller Award, Best Research, CRS, 2000; APV Award, Best Ph.D. Thesis, APV, 2000; Fellow, AAAS, 2000; Director of the AIChE, 2000; Research Achievement Award in Pharmaceutical Technology, AAPS, 1999; Editor, Advances in Chemical Engineering, 1999- ; Fellow, APS, 1998; Whitaker Best Paper Award, ISAO, 1997; Fellow, AIChE, 1997; Best Doctoral Dissertation Award, Purdue University, 1996; Whitaker Best Paper Award, IEEE, 1996; APV Medal, 1995; Best Paper Award, Annual Meeting AIChE, 1994; Award and Honorary Membership, Italian Society of Medicine and Natural Sciences, 1994; Food, Pharmaceutical and Bioengineering Award, AIChE, 1994; Fellow, Society for Biomaterials, 1994; Potter Award, Best Engineering Teacher, Purdue University, 1994, 1985, 1978; Shreve Prize, Best Chemical Engineering Teacher, Purdue University, 1994, 1992, 1985, 1982, 1980, 1978; Unilever Award, Best Polymer Doctoral Thesis, ACS, 1993; George Westinghouse Award, ASEE, 1992; Clemson Award for Basic Research in Biomaterials, Society for Biomaterials, 1992; Founding Fellow, AIMBE, 1992; Founders Award for Outstanding Research, CRS, 1991; Victor LaMer Award, Best Colloids Doctoral Thesis, ACS, 1991; Polymer Science Pioneer by the Journal Polymer News, 1991; Fellow, AAPS, 1990; Curtis McGraw Award for Outstanding Research, ASEE, 1988; President of the Controlled Release Society, 1987-88; Materials Engineering and Sciences Award, AIChE, 1984; Zyma Foundation Award for the Advancement of Medical and Biological Sciences, 1982; AIChE National Best Counselor Award, 1982; Editor, Biomaterials, 1982-2001; Western Electric Fund Award, ASEE, 1980.

Important Articles

• E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Responsive and Recognitive Hydrogels Using Star Polymers,” J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 68A, 439-447 (2004).
• N.A. Peppas and W. Leobandung, “Stimuli-sensitive Hydrogels in Chronotherapeutic Applications”, J. Biomater. Sci., Polym. Ed., 15, 125-144 (2004).
• K. Nakamura, R.J. Murray, J.I. Joseph, N.A. Peppas, M. Morishita and A.M. Lowman: “Oral Insulin Delivery Using P(MAA-g-EG) Hydrogels: Effects of Network Morphology on Insulin Delivery Characteristics”, J. Controlled Release, 95, 589-599 (2004).
• J. O. Blanchette, N. Kavimandan and N.A. Peppas, “Principles of Transmucosal Delivery of Therapeutic Agents”, Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 58, 142-151 (2004).
• J.E. López and N.A. Peppas, “Cellular Evaluation of Insulin Transmucosal Delivery,” J. Biomater. Sci., Polym. Ed., 15, 385-396 (2004).
• N.A. Peppas, K.M. Wood and J.O. Blanchette, “Hydrogels for Oral Delivery of Therapeutic Proteins”, Expert Opin. Biol. Ther., 4, 881 – 887 (2004).
• E. Oral and N.A. Peppas, “Dynamic Studies of Molecular Imprinting Polymerizations”, Polymer, 45, 6163-6173 (2004).
• N.A. Peppas and Y. Huang, “Nanoscale Technology of Mucoadhesive Interactions”, Adv. Drug Deliv. Revs., 56, 1675-1687 (2004).
• K. Podual, F. Doyle III and N.A. Peppas, “Modeling of Water Transport in and Release from Glucose-sensitive, Swelling-controlled Release Systems Based on P(DEAEM-g-EG)”, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 43, 7500-7512 (2004).

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