Abstract:     Microfabrication techniques which permit the creation of therapeutic delivery systems that possess a combination of structural, mechanical, and perhaps electronic features may surmount challenges associated with conventional delivery of therapy. In this presentation, delivery concepts are presented which capitalize on the strengths of microfabrication. Possible applications include micromachined silicon membranes to create implantable biocapsules for the immunoisolation of pancreatic islet cells-as a possible treatment for diabetes-and sustained release of injectable drugs needed over long time periods. Asymmetrical, drug-loaded microfabricated particles with specific ligands linked to the surface are proposed for improving oral bioavailability of peptide (and perhaps protein) drugs.

Biography:     Dr. Tejal Desai received the Sc.B. degree in Biomedical Engineering from Brown University (Providence, RI) in 1994 and the Ph.D. degree in bioengineering from the joint graduate program at University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, San Francisco, in 1998. In September 1998, she was appointed an Assistant Professor in the newly formed Department of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois. In January 2002, she joined the Biomedical Engineering faculty at Boston University as an Associate Professor. Dr. Tejal Desai directs the Laboratory of Therapeutic Microtechnology. Her research combines methods and materials originally used for micro-electro-mechanical systems to create implantable biohybrid devices for cell encapsulation, templates for cell and tissue regeneration, and novel protocols for the surface modification of biomaterials. Dr. Desai uses a multidisciplinary approach to better understand biological systems and develop therapeutic modalities for a variety of pathologies. In addition to authoring over 50 technical papers, she is presently serving on the editoral board of Biomedical Microdevices and is authoring a book on Therapeutic Microtechnology. She has chaired and organized several conferences and symposia in the area of bioMEMS, microfabricated biomaterials, and microscale tissue engineering. Her other interests include K-12 educational outreach, gender and science education, science policy issues, and biotechnology/bioengineering industrial outreach.

Desai's research efforts have earned her numerous awards. In 1999, she was recognized by Crain's Chicago Business magazine with their annual "40 Under 40" award for leadership. She was also named that year by Technology Review Magazine as one of the nation's "Top 100 Young Innovators." Desai's teaching efforts were recognized when she won the College of Engineering Best Advisor/Teacher Award. She also won the National Science Foundation's "New Century Scholar" award and the NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program "CAREER" award, which recognizes teacher-scholars most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21^st century. Her research in therapeutic microtechnology has also earned her the Visionary Science Award from the International Society of BioMEMS and Nanotechnology in 2001.