Abstract Engineering Immune System Development Engineered T cells are at the leading edge of clinical cell therapy. T cell therapies have had a remarkable impact on patient care for a subset of hematological malignancies. This foundation has motivated the development of off-the-shelf engineered cell therapies for a broad range of devastating indications. Achieving this vision…

Abstract Solute Diffusion in Block Copolymer Organogels Through the Lens of Transdermal Drug Delivery Effective transdermal drug delivery patches must exhibit multiple characteristics including the ability to store and release desired pharmaceutical compounds, enhance permeation of those compounds through skin, and moderately adhere to skin while avoiding irritation. Gels composed of styrenic block copolymers and…

Abstract Modeling Battery Performance Due to Volume Change in Porous Electrodes In order to accurately predict the behavior of electrochemical devices, it is necessary to develop sophisticated models that take into consideration transport processes, electrochemical phenomena, mechanical stresses, and structural deformations on the operation of an electrochemical system. Several different models exist that can predict…

Abstract Engineering Plant-Microbe Interactions Towards Advanced Agriculture Biotechnologies Few plant-microbe interactions involving commensal microbiota are mechanistically understood, and filling this knowledge gap is necessary to manipulate and engineer these interactions for the development of new technologies. Through genetic engineering of non-model bacteria from the plant root microbiome, we can probe these interactions, define them mechanistically,…

Intertwining Science & Creativity to Improve Humanity and Our Planet Biography Dr. Willoughby is the Chief Innovation Officer of Blue Hummingbird, LLC where she combines scientific and creative design to help clients commercialize climate-positive technology.  She served as the Chief Scientific and Commercialization Officer at Circ®, Inc. from 2019-2023; leading the team from recycling one…

Building a Culture of Excellence Biography Adm. Daryl Caudle is a native of Winston–Salem, North Carolina and a 1985 graduate of North Carolina State University (magna cum laude) with a degree in chemical engineering. He was then commissioned after attending Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. Caudle holds advanced degrees from the Naval Postgraduate School, Master of…

Abstract Crystalline polymers morphology: an overview The organization and structure of polymers is analyzed by various techniques. Global means, such as DSC, are ideal when dealing with e.g. phase transitions (crystallization, melting, glass transition, etc.). Some of these techniques (e.g. IR or NMR) do probe local features and sub-molecular dynamics. Analysis of the crystalline polymers…

Abstract Colloidal Engineering at the Nano, Micro, and Macro Scales: Materials that Can Move, Morph, Protect and Heal Our laboratory seeks to engineer colloidal building blocks (polymers, surfactants, and particles) into a variety of functional fluids and soft materials. Our work extends across the length scales. Many of our systems are ‘smart’, i.e., their properties…

Abstract Linking computational techniques to experiments for establishing design-structure-property relationships in soft materials. My research group’s expertise lies in the development of physics-based molecular models and simulation methods as well as data-driven machine learning models for designing and characterizing soft macromolecular materials.  In this talk, I will highlight examples from my group’s recent work to…