February 26, 2021
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PHRMA) Foundation recently recognized UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Ph.D. student Natalie Jasiewicz with a 2021 Predoctoral Fellowship in Drug Delivery.
The fellowship will support Jasiewicz’s research for two years, which is centered around treating myocardial infarctions, more commonly known as heart attacks.
“It feels amazing to receive this highly competitive fellowship, and it is an honor to be chosen to join this network of highly accomplished scientists. I’m thankful to be so publicly supported in my goal of creating novel and translatable drug carriers for the treatment of myocardial infarction,” Jasiewicz said.
Jasiewicz said there are more than 1.5 million cases of heart attacks each year in the United States and common treatments are often invasive and can lead to long-term functional complications. Newer approaches using stem cells have shown promise, but still struggle to keep cells at the site of damaged tissue long enough to see optimal effects.
With this fellowship, Jasiewicz will be able to use biomolecular tools to engineer stem cells that can target and then stably crosslink at the site of damage, all with simple IV injections.
“By boosting [cell] retention and exposure long-term, we hope to expand their use to heal damaged tissues faster and more efficiently,” she said. “Beyond the financial aid to help me complete these important aspects of my thesis, the training plan under this project will provide me with a set of career development activities, outreach, and workshops that will enhance my skills as a scientist.”
Jasiewicz currently works in the Therapeutic Biomaterials Laboratory at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy under the leadership of Juliane Nguyen, Ph.D.
“This fellowship recognizes Natalie’s hard work, intellectual contributions, and passion for drug delivery research. This fellowship will help Natalie take her research to the next level,” Nguyen said. “I have no doubts that she will establish herself as a future leader in biomaterials, drug delivery, and education.”
As for the future, Jasiewicz said she hopes to become an independent investigator working toward drug delivery, regenerative drug therapies, and biomaterial engineering in her own lab. It is her ultimate goal to translate therapies and directly help patients.
“As Natalie advances, I encourage her to take every opportunity she can to grow as a scientist and a mentor. She is incredibly resourceful, takes initiative, and builds equipment for the lab,” Nguyen said. “She is a rising star and has become an invaluable member of the lab.”
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