Project

Lipid nanoparticles for targeted cancer therapies

Fellowships

The Tow Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2022-present)

NIH T32 Cancer Pharmacology Training Grant (2020-2022)

Links

https://www.linkedin.com/in/magdalini-panagiotakopoulos-bb522b40/

(CV)

I am a multidisciplinary scientist, devoted to life sciences since my undergraduate studies in Chemical Engineering. During my Ph.D. in ETH Zurich, Switzerland, I discovered a relationship between cell cycle and cancer migration, using nano/micro-fabrication tools to create artificial environments mimicking human tissue. After my Ph.D., I worked as an R&D Manager for two years in a blood diagnostics startup company in Switzerland, where I set up from scratch two complete research labs and monitored the activities of a team of 10 scientists and engineers, focusing on the product’s preclinical development.

In the Cancer Nanomedicine Lab, I am in charge of the design and preclinical testing of lipid or polymeric nanoparticle drug delivery systems, for the targeted treatment of cancer or acute kidney injury. I have developed a new class of versatile lipid nanoparticles that have shown high therapeutic efficacy in mouse models of Graft-vs-Host-Disease and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Apart from nanoparticles for drug delivery, I am also developing hydrogels with shape memory for tissue regeneration after cancer therapy.

My research has received awards from the Controlled Release Society and the Hellenic Medical Society of New York. I have also received prizes in science communication competitions, such as the Post Doc Slam 2023 (People’s Choice and 2nd Place from the committee). My research has been supported by the NIH and a scholarship from the Tow Foundation.