Dr. Elizabeth Nance received her Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and is now an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington. She leads a research team in the study of nanoparticles that are capable of targeting disease in the brain. Elizabeth has received numerous awards for her groundbreaking work, and was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 in Science in 2015, described as one of the “most disruptive, game-changing and innovating young personalities in science.”

In this podcast NBT Scientific Director Megan Roberts interviews Elizabeth about her research in nanotechnology and its application in medical development and delivery. They discuss the potential applications of her work for the diagnosis and treatment of debilitating diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. They also talk about the message behind Elizabeth’s 2016 TED talk on the importance of exploring unfamiliar territory as a catalyst for growth and mastery.

Here’s the outline of this interview with Elizabeth Nance:

[00:00:41] Book: How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence, by Michael Pollan.

[00:06:30] Nanotechnology.

[00:11:42] Justin Hanes, PhD.

[00:11:51] Mucosal barrier.

[00:15:36] Increasing distribution of particles within brain.

[00:17:28] Polyethylene glycol.

[00:20:39] Diffusion and convection.

[00:27:25] Nanoparticles.

[00:33:28] Increasing diffusive capability for improved drug efficacy.

[00:34:05] Curcumin study: Joseph A., Wood T., Chen C-C., Corry K., Juul S., Snyder J., Parikh P., Nance E. Curcumin-loaded brain penetrating nanoparticles for treatment of neonatal hypoxia-ischemia encephalopathy. In press, Nano Research.

[00:35:13] Nanotechnology in cancer.

[00:39:10] Generalizing from animal models.

[00:46:40] Childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy.

[00:48:25] Video: Specializing in Not Specializing | Elizabeth Nance | TEDxUofW.

[00:48:53] Interdisciplinary collaboration.

[00:53:14] Book: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck, Ph.D.

[01:00:02] Freedom to fail.

[01:01:45] Blood Chemistry Calculator; Tommy Wood, MD, PhD; Dr. Bryan Walsh.

[01:02:06] Machine learning.

[01:06:12] nancelab.com; blog; Facebook; Instagram.