Biomedical Micro-Nanotechnologies Toward Translation

Dr. Alessandro Grattoni trained in mechanical engineering and obtained a PhD in biomedical engineering at Polytechnic of Turin, Italy, while performing research of nanoscale transport in Dr. Mauro Ferrari's laboratory at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas. After completing his research training, he established a drug delivery laboratory focused on biomedical microdevices. His research activities are dedicated to the development and clinical translation of implantable nanofluidic platforms for controlled, long-term drug delivery and cell transplantation. His current research investigations include controlled delivery systems for HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), obesity and metabolic syndrome, and intratumoral cancer immunotherapy. Additionally, his team has created a novel 3D printed encapsulation device, the NICHE, for the transplantation of cells for the treatment of endocrine diseases. Dr. Grattoni established the Center for Space Nanomedicine at HMRI, focused on leveraging microgravity on the International Space Station for the investigation of nanomedicine for applications on-Earth and in Space. Dr. Grattoni's laboratory has received support from, NIH, CASIS, NASA, DOD, JDRF, Gilead Sciences, Automobili Lamborghini, numerous foundations and the industry.
Professor Tejal Desai is the Ernest L Prien Endowed Professor and Chair of the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences within the Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), the director of the NIH training grant for the Joint Graduate Program in Bioengineering at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) and UCSF, and the founding director of the UCSF/UC Berkeley Master's Program in Translational Medicine. Professor Desai's research spans multiple disciplines including materials engineering, cell biology, tissue engineering, and pharmacological delivery systems to address issues concerning disease and clinical