In this episode, Tejal Desai PhD discusses her groundbreaking work in nanotechnology and drug delivery, sharing how her team is solving the fundamental challenge that only 5% of drugs successfully make it through the GI tract.

Tejal Ashwin Desai PhD is the Sorensen Family Dean of Engineering at Brown University and a member of the National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Medicine, and National Academy of Inventors. Previously, she served as the Deborah Cowan Endowed Professor at University of California, San Francisco, where she directed the Health Innovations via Engineering Initiative. Her research focuses on creating biodegradable devices that deliver precise doses of medication where and when needed, with applications in diabetes treatment, retinal diseases, and immunotherapy.

Tejal's translational research focuses on creating microscopic delivery systems that work at the cellular level. Her team has developed miniaturized implants that deliver medication to treat retinal diseases for months instead of requiring monthly eye injections, and nanorods technology that shows promise in treating autoimmune diseases like psoriasis. She discusses the importance of human-centered design, her transition from researcher to Dean, and the future of AI-integrated engineering through Brown's a new institute in the School of Engineering.

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