Project
Polymeric micelles have gained popularity as vehicles for drug delivery. Such drug delivery system solves the problem of limited aqueous solubility of many drug molecules, and also has potential to imrpove their pharmacologic properties by increasing the half-life of the drugs. Moreover, ligand-mediated targeting of the drug delivery system can improve local drug delivery through active targeting.
My project involves synthesizing biodegradable and biocompatible copolymers of poly(2-methyl-2-carboxytrimethylene-carbonate-co-D,L-lactide-grafted-polyethylene glycol) (P(TMCC-co-LA)-g-PEG), by ring opening polymerization. The resulting copolymer can self-assemble to form micelles by dialysis. The targeting ligands can be conjugated to the surface of micelles using click chemistry to achieve active targeting, while anti-cancer drugs can be incorporated inside the micelles. The stability of these micelles in blood as well as their ability to target cancerous cells in vitro is under investigation.
Education
Simon Fraser University, 2002-2006
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry
Employment
Research Assistant (Industry)
AnorMED, Medicinal Lab, 2005-2006
Prepare novel compounds in the drug development program
Supervisor: Dr. Ernest McEachern, Dr. Krystina Vocadlo and Dr. Elyse Bourque
Research Assistant (Academic)
Simon Fraser University, Department of Chemistry, summer 2004
Synthesis of moth pheromone analogs
Supervisor: Professor Erick Plattner
Research Assistant (Academic)
Simon Fraser University, Department of Biological Science, summer 2003
Identification and characterization of genes involved in vascular development in Arabidopsis thaliana
Supervisor: Professor Jim Mattsson
Awards
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2010-2011)
CIBA Specialty Chemical, Inc. Graduate Student Award (2010)
Dr. L. Bradley Pett Graduate Award in Biological Chemistry (2008 and 2010)
Dina Gordon Malkin OGSST Scholarship (2009-2010)
University of Toronto, Department of Chemistry, Special Opportunity Travel Grant (2010)
Faculty of Art and Science Graduate Student Conference Travel Grant (2009)
OSOTF-restricted award McCuaig-Throop Bursary (2009)
Publications and Patents
J. Lu and M.S. Shoichet, Self-assembled Polymeric Nanoparticles of Organocatalytic Copolymerized D,L-Lactide and 2-Methyl 2-carboxytri methylene Carbonate. Macromolecules 2010, 43: 4943-4953.
M. Shi, J. Lu; and M.S. Shoichet, Organic Nanoscale Drug Carriers Coupled with Ligands for Targeted Drug Delivery in Cancer. Journal of Materials Chemistry 2009, 19: 5485-5498
J. Lu, M. Shi and M.S. Shoichet, Click Chemistry Functionalized Polymeric Nanoparticles Target Corneal Epithelial Cells through RGD-cell Surface Receptors. Bioconjugate Chemistry 2009, 20: 87-94
J. Lu and MS. Shoichet. US Patent, filed 05/2010
Selected Conferences
239th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition (Oral presentation)
March 21-25, 2010, San Francisco, USA
Self-assembled Polymeric Nanoparticles of Organocatalytic Copolymerized D,L-Lactide and 2-Methyl 2-carboxytrimethylene Carbonate
Nanomedicine and Drug Delivery Symposium (Poster presentation)
October 18-19, 2008, Toronto, Canada
Click Chemistry Functionalized Polymeric Nanoparticles Target Corneal Epithelial Cells through RGD-cell Surface Receptors
Canada nanoscience and Nanotechnology Forum (Poster presentation)
May 28-29, 2008, Edmonton, Canada
Modification of Polymeric Nanoparticles with RGD by Click Chemistry and Study Their Bioactivities on Rabit Corneal Epithelial Cells
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