REU Site: Pharmaceutical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University

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The REU site in Pharmaceutical Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)is co-sponsored by the VCU College of Engineering the VCU School of Pharmacy and Virginia State University (VSU). The 10-week program will annually engage 10 undergraduates and approximatley 20 faculty members in research projects in areas related to pharmaceutical engineering. Pharmaceutical Engineering REU projects will engage students in collaborative projects that have the potential to transform the quality, cost, and availability of medications, while enhancing global competitiveness of the US pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. The REU site seeks to inspire a diverse group of undergraduate students to pursue careers in the science and engineering of pharmaceutical products, thus addressing the growing need of a multidisciplinary workforce of researchers, educators, entrepreneurs and regulators capable of solving health challenges of the future. By working with undergraduate institutions with limited STEM education and research opportunities, and recruiting a diverse team of student researchers, we aim to increase participation in science and engineering from underrepresented groups. Each student cohort will participate in a co-curriculum comprised of seminars, workshops, field trips, and social activities with support from mentors from VCU, VSU and industrial partners. Students will gain skills in research, product innovation, scientific communication and publication writing, as well as teamwork, and grant writing.The REU in Pharmaceutical Engineering at VCU will conduct research in three fundamental areas: i) the engineering of pharmaceutical materials; ii) the engineering of complex formulations and iii) the generation and control of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Students will gain skills and experiences by engaging in research that supports the development of complex and novel pharmaceutical products. REU students will be involved both in experimental work and also learn the theoretical concepts of pharmaceutical engineering that address interdisciplinary challenges related to the design and development of pharmaceutical products. The projects that will be undertaken address a growing need for a team-based approach to solving challenges related to pharmaceutical engineering and include topics in drug delivery, inhaled therapeutics, and continuous manufacturing, combination chemotherapy and nanomedicine.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.