Division News and Events - Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery

What Starts Here Changes the World

The Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery faculty and labs are on the forefront of research in the field.  Our breakthroughs are regularly featured in the media and in academic publications. 

The Drug Dynamics Institute is now the Innovating for Health (i4Health) Institute

The Innovating for Health (i4Health) Institute has launched at the University of Texas at Austin, shifting the focus of the former Drug Dynamics Institute within the College of Pharmacy. The institute exists to foster collaborative innovation both on campus, with individuals, and with organizations across the globe. Learn more at i4health.info.

Announcements and Accomplishments

Dr. Maria Croyle is Featured in Texas Monthly

Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Professor Maria A. Croyle, Ph.D. received extensive coverage in the March 2021 edition of Texas Monthly regarding her innovative peelable film drug delivery research. Among its many potential applications, Dr. Croyle’s technology could deliver COVID-19 vaccines through a small oral strip, without need for refrigeration or extensive storage and transportation infrastructure.

Dr. Maria Croyle Earns Funding for SARS-CoV-2 Research

Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery professor Maria A. Croyle, Ph.D. earned 2021’s David Lehr Research Award from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). Dr. Croyle will receive research funding to investigate novel regulatory mechanisms of drug metabolism in the context of active infection with SARS-CoV-2 and after recovery.

Division News

Pharmacoengineering Program Enables Advanced Drug Development and Delivery

Two scientists working in the lab.
March 11, 2025
The graduate portfolio program in pharmacoengineering is an interdisciplinary effort that bridges expertise in pharmaceutics, chemistry, engineering, biochemistry, biologics and drug metabolism. The goal is to use new technology to develop next-generation, personalized treatments to ensure patients receive optimal dosages delivered to the precise part of the body that needs help — reducing harmful side effects and increasing their efficacy. The program is a collaboration between the Cockrell School of Engineering, College of Natural Sciences and College of Pharmacy.

Walkow Makes Austin Woman Magazine's 2025 Change Makers List

Photo of Dr. Janet Walkow. Walkow is standing in a lab wearing a blue button-up blouse and black pants. She is has shoulder-length brown hair and is smiling to camera.
Jan. 2, 2025
Clinical Professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery and Executive Director & Chief Technology Officer, Innovating for Health (i4Health) Institute Janet C. Walkow, Ph.D. was named as one of Austin Woman magazine’s 2025 Change Makers. Walkow earned a place among female Austinites recognized as Talent Transformers, one of 12 categories featured in the 2025 Change Makers List.

National Academy of Inventors Names Croyle 2024 Fellow

Dr. Maria Croyle smiling in headshot photo
Dec. 11, 2024
Professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery and Glaxo Wellcome Professor Maria A. Croyle, Ph.D. was named a member of the National Academy of Inventors 2024 Class of Fellows, joining a prestigious list of researchers from 135 research universities, governmental and non-profit research institutions worldwide. She is the only faculty member from UT Austin to be inducted into this year’s Fellows Program.

New Faculty Spotlight

Dr. Qian Zhong Joins College of Pharmacy as Assistant Professor
We'd like to introduce and welcome Dr. Qian Zhong to the Division of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery faculty.  Dr. Zhong’s research integrates interdisciplinary approaches to engineer highly modular biomaterials-centric molecular probes and drug delivery systems to enable early detection of cancer and precision drug delivery of biologics. Most notably, Qian has developed a technology that utilizes only a nebulizer and a simple urine test to reveal early-stage lung cancer within 20 minutes.  You can read about this technology here.
 
You can contact Dr. Zhong at qian.zhong@austin.utexas.edu.
Dr. B.J. Kim Joins College of Pharmacy as Assistant Professor

Dr. Kim brings a wealth of expertise in RNA-based therapeutics, immunoengineering, and drug delivery, with a focus on developing innovative strategies for cancer treatment and vaccine design.

Dr. Kim earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California San Diego, where she specialized in RNA delivery under the mentorship of Professor Michael J. Sailor. She then pursued postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with Professor Darrell J. Irvine, where she tackled immunological barriers to RNA vaccines and developed next-generation RNA delivery systems for infectious diseases and cancer immunotherapy.

At UT Austin, Dr. Kim is launching the Kimmunity Lab, which will integrate materials science, bioengineering, and immunology to advance RNA-based therapeutics and precision drug delivery technologies. Her research aims to optimize RNA formulations for cancer immunotherapy and vaccine development, leveraging high-throughput screening, immunoengineering, and machine learning to accelerate clinical translation.

Dr. Kim is excited to collaborate with researchers across disciplines and contribute to the college’s mission of advancing pharmaceutical innovation. To learn more about her work, visit the Kimmunity Lab website at kimmunotherapy.com.

Upcoming Events

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A woman in front of a research poster.
Event Status
Scheduled
Tuesday April 8, 2025, 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Location: Austin
The 21st Annual Louis C. Littlefield Celebrating Pharmacy Research Excellence Day highlights the accomplishments of College of Pharmacy researchers at all levels: undergraduate, Pharm.D. and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows & residents, as well as research staff and faculty.