Tania Betancourt, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, was a grand prize winner for the Best Poster award at Nano-Night 2005.
Nano-Night, a popular forum featuring the research of current graduate students studying nanotechnology, is organized annually by the Center of Nano- and Molecular Science and Technology at the university. Betancourt’s work bested more than 50 entries at the 2005 session.
Betancourt's poster described her research on developing, characterizing and evaluating biodegradable nanoparticles to serve as vehicles for transporting cancer drugs. The nanoparticles seek to increase the effectiveness of cancer treatment while decreasing side effects. Prepared from a biocompatible, biodegradable polymer, the nanoparticles protect a cancer drug from harsh conditions in the human body. They also help deliver drugs to the right location in the body, and allow for their release in a controlled manner to maintain an adequate drug dose for extended periods. In addition, modifying the surface of these nanoparticle delivery systems can permit drugs to circulate in the blood longer, and can target specific tissues of the body. They could lead to fewer, less frequent chemotherapy sessions, that are less toxic to healthy tissue and more effective at damaging cancer cells, improving patient compliance and quality of life.
The Nano-Night Call for Posters is sent to all faculty and students of the university associated with nano-science or nano-technology research. Two grand prizes were awarded and each winner received a $500 travel grant toward attending major conferences.
The only engineer to receive this grand prize this year, Betancourt is a resident of Houston, and earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University. She joined the biomedical engineering department in August 2003 and is presently a National Science Foundation Fellow. Betancourt's research paper "Biodegradable Nanoparticles for the Treatment of Cancer" was produced under the direction of her Ph.D. advisor, Dr. Lisa Brannon-Peppas, professor of biomedical engineering.
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