Center of Excellence in Microbiome Sciences

A University of Maryland study to advance fundamental science that will drive targeted nanomedicine for a wide range of human health indications has received $2 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health.

The research will be led by Hannah Zierden, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and member of the UMD Center of Excellence in Microbiome Sciences.

The project will focus on studying biological processes associated with the mucosal barrier in the human body—key to the development of specialized formulations that improve the efficacy of treatments with minimal side effects.  

 “If we can better understand how nanoparticles interact with mucus barriers, we can improve treatments for women’s health, lung diseases, and gastrointestinal indications,” explains Zierden.

The five-year investigation will focus on understanding how the biomolecular corona—a collection of proteins, lipids, and other molecules present in bodily fluids that absorb in nanoparticle substances—occurs in mucus. Fundamental knowledge of the corona in the mucosal barrier will reveal insights of how it forms, which proteins and lipids are found, and how it influences drug delivery.

In the human body, local drug delivery means direct delivery via vaginally administered medicines, inhaled medicines, or orally administered medicines. 

Previous work by Zierden’s research group involved engineering nanotherapies that penetrate the mucosal barrier, which resulted in improved treatment efficacy for women’s health and inflammatory bowel disease. However, her team has identified the mucosal biomolecular corona as a key gap in improving the design of nanomedicines for local drug delivery. The goal is to advance treatments with increased drug concentration for higher efficacy, while reducing medication side effects. 

The project is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (MIRA) for Early Stage Investigators, a program that supports the institutional goal of increasing the understanding of biological processes to lay the foundation for disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.

—Story by A. James Clark School of Engineering

Katharina Maisel, an associate professor of bioengineering at the University of Maryland (UMD), has been named the 2025 Outstanding Young Engineer by the Maryland Science Center, a nonprofit based in Baltimore. Established in 1988 to recognize the important contributions of Maryland’s young engineers, the award annually honors one professional aged 35 or younger in academia, or 40 or younger in other sectors, who have made exceptional contributions to engineering.

Maisel’s research focuses on the intersection of engineering, biology, and medicine. Her lab uses in vitro modeling, nanotechnology, and immunoengineering approaches to study diseases at mucosal surfaces and develop new treatments. By examining the role of stromal cells in disease progression, her work identifies new therapeutic targets and design strategies that could improve how diseases are treated.

One area of particular interest for Maisel’s team is the lymphatic system, which plays a central role in shaping long-lasting immune responses. Her team investigates how to deliver therapies directly to lymph nodes, a method shown in preclinical research to improve the effectiveness of treatments such as cancer immunotherapy.

Maisel’s path to biomedical engineering began with a love of math and physics, but not a clear vision of an engineering career. Encouraged to “just try it,” she discovered biomedical engineering as a way to combine her interest in the human body with problem-solving skills from engineering. 

Her graduate work at Johns Hopkins University in drug delivery introduced her to nanoparticles and strategies for targeting drugs to specific sites in the body. During her postdoctoral work as an NIH Fellow at the University of Chicago, she shifted into basic immunology, gaining expertise in the lymphatic system and respiratory immunology, knowledge she now integrates into her current research.

Maisel joined UMD in 2019, where she is a member of the UMD Center of Excellence in Microbiome Sciences and an affiliate of the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices.

“Since I volunteered at the Maryland Science Center when I was a graduate student, winning this award feels like coming full circle with some of the work I did during that time,” Maisel says. “It also emphasizes that I am looking to grow the next generation of scientists. That is why I am an academic, to inspire the next generation.”

—Story by Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices

Reza Ghodssi, the Herbert Rabin Distinguished Chair in Engineering at the University of Maryland (UMD) and Inaugural Executive Director of Research and Innovation at the UMD MATRIX Lab, has been named a Distinguished University Professor. The title is the highest appointment bestowed on a tenured faculty member, and recognizes the excellence, impact, and significant contributions to the nominee’s field both nationally and internationally. The highly selective honor is given to just 7% of UMD tenured faculty.

“Thank you, University of Maryland, for being my home institution for the past twenty-five years and providing me with fantastic opportunities for research, education, innovation, and outreach,” said Ghodssi. “I proudly share this significant honor with my current and former undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral associates, and excellent collaborators.”

Ghodssi’s research interests are in the design and development of micro/nano/bio devices and systems for chemical and biological sensing, small-scale energy conversion, and harvesting for healthcare applications. He holds nine U.S. patents, with nine applications published and nine pending, and has authored over 175 peer-reviewed journal articles and more than 370 conference papers. He is a Fellow of the American Vacuum Society, American Society of Mechanical Engineers and Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Last year, he won the Gaede-Langmuir Award from the American Vacuum Society for his pioneering MEMS research.

At UMD, Ghodssi is the Director of the MEMS Sensors and Actuators Lab, an Institute Fellow of the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, and a member of the UMD Center of Excellence in Microbiome Sciences.

He is also affiliated with the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Maryland NanoCenter, and Maryland Energy Innovation Institute.

Ghodssi has held several leadership roles throughout his tenure at UMD, including directing the Institute for Systems Research from 2009-2018, where he helped establish the Maryland Robotics Center, and the Brain and Behavior Institute as founding co-director. 

Ghodssi is also president of the Transducer Research Foundation (TRF), an international body fostering innovation in sensors and microsystems. In addition to his organizational leadership roles, Ghodssi has mentored more than 130 students and postdocs, and has produced academic leaders and industry innovators now at institutions such as Georgia Tech, Meta and the Army Research Lab.

Ghodssi and other academic and service honorees will be recognized for their awards at the 2025 Faculty & Staff Convocation on September 17 from 2–4 p.m. in the UMD Memorial Chapel.

—Story by Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices