DeSimone Receives NIH Award

Dr. Joseph M. DeSimone, William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pioneer Award, one of only 18 such honors handed out this year.

The Pioneer Award supports individual scientists of exceptional creativity who propose pioneering – and possibly transforming – approaches to major challenges in biomedical and behavioral research. Awards are for up to $500,000 per year for five years. A recognized chemist and polymer expert, DeSimone develops groundbreaking solutions in green manufacturing and promising applications in gene therapy, drug delivery and medical devices. He will use the award to develop new methods for delivering promising biological therapeutics, such as proteins, antibodies and nucleic acids, to specific locations in the body in a safe and effective fashion. He is also eminent professor of chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.