Alexander “Sasha” Kabanov, Ph.D., Dr. Sci., has been selected for membership in the College of Fellows of the Controlled Release Society for his “outstanding contributions to the field of delivery science and technology.” Kabanov will be inducted into the college at the 45th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the Controlled Release Society July 22–24 in New York City.
Kabanov is the Mescal S. Ferguson Distinguished Professor in the Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics and the director of the School’s Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery. He is a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Elevation from member to fellow of the Controlled Release Society recognizes an exceptional CRS member who has made outstanding and sustained contributions to the field of delivery science and technology over a minimum of 10 years. Fellows have distinguished themselves as leaders in their field through impactful contributions in fundamental or applied research, technology, products or education within the areas of interest of the CRS. A maximum of five new fellowships are awarded every year. The election of fellows is determined by a vote by all members of the college.
Kabanov pioneered major concepts in the nanomedicine field, including the use of polymeric micelles, block ionomer complexes, nanogels and exosomes for delivery of small drugs, nucleic acids and polypeptides to treat cancers and diseases of the central nervous system. He co-invented the first polymeric micelle drug to enter clinical trials. He cofounded BendaRx Corp and SoftKemo Pharma Corp, which develop therapeutics for cancer, and NeuroNano Pharma Inc, which focuses on diseases of the central nervous system.
Kabanov has published more than 300 scientific papers and he holds 33 U.S. patents. His work has been cited nearly 29,500 times (Hirsh index 91), and he was named the Thomson Reuters 2014 Highly Cited Researcher in pharmacology and toxicology. His cumulative research support in academia as principal investigator has been more than $54 million. His inventions have attracted over $60 million in private, foundation and company-sponsored R&D funding.
In 2017 he was awarded the George Gamow award for his “cycle of works that initiated the use of polymeric nanomaterials for the delivery of drugs and nucleic acids to the cell.” He is a member of Academia Europaea, the Academy of Europe.