BME Seminar Series: Mark Byrne, PhD, Rowan University

All dates for this event occur in the past.

In-person 2000 Fontana Labs
https://osu.zoom.us/j/92223278451?pwd=b2NjM01kZjdqdjJYczZiZUZCLzlIdz09
Password: 600352
United States

Mark Byrne, PhD
Professor
Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Rowan University

Abstract:

"Increased Efficacy of Sustained Ophthalmic Drug Delivery via the Ocular Biointerface: Therapeutic Contact Lenses"

The creation of enhanced ocular delivery systems has tremendous promise to profoundly impact ocular health via improved treatment options, which will greatly improve quality of life. Topical eye drops, which are grossly inefficient delivery vehicles, hold 90% of the ocular pharmaceutics market. With a total market valued at ~$18 billion and growing at an 8-10% compound annual growth rate, there is a substantial opportunity for the commercialization of new products that deliver therapeutics more effectively and efficiently to the eye via the ocular biointerface.

This presentation will involve a discussion of the challenges and opportunities associated with ocular delivery and one of the most promising new drug delivery biomaterials, therapeutic contact lenses. My research group has created a platform technology and a number of novel contact and bandage lenses with controlled transport of various therapeutics that can deliver constant amounts of one of multiple therapeutics to the eye for the duration of lens wear from days to weeks. Our research also includes more comfortable and healthy contact lenses, by the controlled release of wettability/comfort agents, which is still one of the most pressing challenges within the lens industry.

Strict control of release is accomplished by engineering the architectural design of biomaterials at the molecular level. This presentation will also involve the fundamental aspects in the design, characterization, and analysis of these biomaterials and focus on the complex relationship between network formation, network structure and compositions, and the biointerface and drug transport. My group has begun to answer fundamental questions on the nature of this phenomena on the chain level. Emerging translational areas involve numerous thin film and micro/nanoparticle therapeutic release platforms, including new injectable materials to prophylactically treat posterior capsule opacification after cataract surgery. Within the field of advanced drug delivery, the focus toward engineering biomaterials on the molecular level is advancing new products to patients.

Bio: 

Dr. Mark Byrne holds degrees in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University as a National Science Foundation Fellow, under the direction of Dr. Nicholas Peppas, pioneering founder of the modern drug delivery field. Dr. Byrne is a distinguished professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and Founding Head of Biomedical Engineering at Rowan University, the fastest growing and the newest ABET-accredited program in the country. Recently, he was named Founding Dean of the new Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, integrating all biomedical research across three Rowan campuses, an affiliated medical system, and two medical schools. Dr. Byrne is also Founder, Chairman, and Chief Technical Officer of OcuMedic, Inc., a company revolutionizing ocular drug delivery for improved patient care commercializing one of the first drug releasing contact lens through human clinical trials. Previously, he held the title of Daniel F. & Josephine Breeden Endowed Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering at Auburn University.

Dr. Byrne has made many pioneering contributions and is a recognized leader in the field of biomaterials engineering, ocular drug delivery, controlled therapeutic delivery, bionanomaterials, polymer engineering, and biomedical devices. He is an advising member of various national research program panels and study sections with the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, the US National Academy of Engineering, and the Department of Defense in areas of biomaterials, biomedical systems and devices, therapeutics, aging and development, and ophthalmology and vision technologies.

Dr. Byrne has published over 100 scientific, peer-reviewed publications garnering more than 5,000 citations and has given over 320 scientific conference presentations and invited lectures at companies, universities, and international meetings, and he is an inventor on 13 US and worldwide issued patents. In 2011 for his seminal contributions to the field, Dr. Byrne was inducted as a Fellow in the American Institute for Medical & Biological Engineering. As principal investigator, Dr. Byrne has trained over 150 doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate student mentees that have won over 60 international, national, and regional awards for their research, including a number of top international and national distinctions in research activities. He has taught numerous graduate and undergraduate courses in engineering and medicine as well as directed a US Department of Education Doctoral Training Program in Biological & Pharmaceutical Engineering and 3 National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Sites in Biomedical Materials, Micro/Nano Structured Materials, Therapeutics, & Devices.

Category: Seminar Series