Briana Simms, Ph.D.
Faculty Candidate
Post-doctoral Associate
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Duke University
Seminar Information
Ischemic stroke is the number one cause of adult disability in the United States. Currently, there are no treatment options beyond physical therapy to lessen the disability burden, thus new therapeutic options are highly needed. Current literature highlights the impact of lipids on stroke wound recovery and cognitive brain function. Although the brain is 50% lipid by mass, biomaterials designed to mimic the brain do not incorporate lipids in their molecular architecture. As such, we have designed two biomaterials that incorporate lipids into their backbone structure to be used in stroke wound healing applications. In this talk, we explore the design and synthesis of novel lipid-based biomaterials for applications in stroke wound recovery. Lipid-modified hydrogel microparticles and dendrimer-lipid nanoparticles are explored as potential options to encourage brain repair following a stroke event or traumatic brain injury.
Dr. Briana Simms is an alumna of Xavier University of Louisiana, completing her B.S in Biochemistry in 2016 as a PREM-NASA Research Scholar. She completed her graduate studies at the University of Mississippi, where she earned her Ph.D. in organic chemistry with a special focus on polymer synthesis and supramolecular assemblies. Her dissertation work focused on the design and synthesis of Janus-type linear-dendritic block copolymer systems and their interactions with biomacromolecules. Dr. Simms continued her academic training as a Post-doctoral Associate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University, where she is not an NINDS Research Fellow and a Duke University Preparing Future Faculty Fellow. She is also very involved in STEM-based outreach and she believes that STEM should be accessible to all who desire to learn it. She serves on the Executive Board of NOBCChE, has started her own STEM education business, and continues to advocate and empower the next generation of STEM scholars. Dr. Simms mentors and trains students from the high school level to graduate students pursuing their doctorates and plans to continue to conduct research in the realm of functional biomaterials.