Departments
- Michael Smith Laboratories
- School of Biomedical Engineering
- Genome Sciences and Technology (GSAT) Graduate Program
Profile
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Imperial College London
PhD in Bioengineering, University of Washington
Research Area
Gene delivery has the potential to prevent or cure most diseases, but the main barrier is delivering enough nucleic acid to the target cells or tissues. We seek to gain a deeper understanding of how the components of gene delivery formulations interact with the immune system in order to improve potency and enable clinical translation. We use a variety of biochemical assays, RNA formulation strategies, nanoparticle characterization methods, imaging techniques, culture of cells and tissues, small and large animal models to pursue our research interests.
Research Questions
- How are RNA delivery vehicles detected by cells and how does this impact efficacy?
- Can we design RNA delivery platforms that act as passive immunization strategies?
- Can we characterize RNA formulations at a more granular level?
- Are there better models to optimize RNA formulations for efficacy in humans?
Research Keywords
Bioengineering, biomaterials & biomechanics, biomolecular engineering, biotechnology, drug delivery, gene/cell therapy systems, immunology, infectious disease, nanofabrication, outreach, synthetic biology, translation
To learn more about the Blakney Lab, please visit: blakneylab.msl.ubc.ca.