Sam Lai, Ph.D.
Director, Pharmacoengineering Program, Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics
Professor, Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics
Adjunct Assistant Professor, UNC Department of Biomedical Engineering
Sam Lai, Ph.D., was born in Hong Kong and spent his childhood in both Hong Kong and Vancouver. After completing high school at Phillips Academy, Andover, he attended Cornell University and received his BS in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in 2003. He then undertook doctoral studies at Johns Hopkins University, receiving his PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in 2007. Following a one-year postdoc, he became a research assistant professor at Johns Hopkins in fall 2008 before joining the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in fall 2010.
Lai’s previous research focused on nanoparticle-based delivery of bioactive molecules to mucosal tissues. He helped pioneer the development of mucus-penetrating particle technology, a breakthrough that formed the basis of Kala Pharmaceuticals, launched in 2009. Kala completed its IPO in 2017, and has two FDA-approved drugs based on the technology. His prior inventions have also been licensed by Graybug Vision, which completed its IPO in 2020 and is in late stage clinical development. Since moving to UNC, he has established a rigorous research program at the interface of engineering, immunology, biophysics and biomaterials. His lab has spun out a number of startups. His pioneering work on muco-trapping antibodies led to the formation of Mucommune, LLC, a startup focused on harnessing antibody-mucin interactions for female reproductive health, and Inhalon Biopharma, a startup focused on treating acute respiratory infections. These two companies have received over $20M in federal contracts, and Inhalon is set to become clinical stage company in 2021. He is also a co-founder of AI Tracking Solutions, a startup based on applying machine learning to video microscopy data analysis. He has received numerous prestigious awards for his research, including the NSF CAREER Award and the Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering.
Research
Lai’s current research interests span a diverse number of disciplines, include mucosal immunology and mucosal barriers to infectious disease, antibody response to synthetic materials, targeted nanoparticle delivery and viral gene therapy using bispecific antibodies, microbiome engineering, computational modeling and artificial intelligence. For more info, please see his lab website.
Note that the Lai Research Group is actively recruiting highly motivated members at all levels (postdoc, graduate students, undergraduates) from across all disciplines.
Education, Entrepreneurship and Outreach
To promote entrepreneurship and innovation among graduate students, professional students and postdocs, in 2016 Lai launched the E(I) Lab program, an 8-month long experiential education program that bring together students from diverse disciplines across UNC to conceive, develop and test innovative solutions to unmet needs in healthcare.
Lai has also collaborated with the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center to develop laboratory module and education curriculum for middle school students titled What’s Snot to Like [PDF]. The curriculum is part of the Morehead Mobile Labs program.
Lai also served as Faculty Director of the Young Innovators Program from 2018-2020.
- Engineering antibodies for mucosal applications, including infectious disease and contraception
- Elucidation and methods to overcome polymer-specific immune responses
- Gene vectors for immune cells engineering
- Gene therapy of the microbiome
- Computational modeling and artificial intelligence
Sam Lai News
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Mucommune Receives Over $3M to Advance Muco-Trapping Antibodies
Mucommune LLC has been awarded over $3 million in five separate federal grants over the past several months to advance its muco-trapping antibody technology. The company was launched in 2016 by Sam Lai, Ph.D., an associate professor at the UNC … Continued
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UNC Builds Better Particle Tracking Software Using Artificial Intelligence
Scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have created a new method of particle tracking based on machine learning that is far more accurate and provides better automation than techniques currently in use. Single-particle tracking involves tracking … Continued
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Eshelman Institute Awards $3.5 Million in June 2018 Funding Round
The Eshelman Institute for Innovation on June 1 funded projects proposed by 25 UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy faculty and staff members totaling more than $3.5 million. The Eshelman Institute was created by a $100 million gift from alumnus, philanthropist and pharmaceutical … Continued
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Microbiome Experts Gather for PharmSci 2018 Conference
The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy hosted the 12th annual Chapel Hill Pharmaceutical Sciences Conference on June 4, focused on the interface between drug delivery and the microbiome. Over 100 attendees gathered at the William and Ida Friday Center in … Continued
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Eshelman Institute Symposium Ignites Innovation
The Eshelman Institute for Innovation held its 2018 Igniting Innovation Symposium Thursday, April 19, at the Carolina Inn. The evening kicked off with a cocktail reception and poster session before attendees moved into the Hill Ballroom for a series of … Continued