Core Members
Dr. Hamid Ghandehari
CENTER DIRECTOR
Distinguished Professor and Chair, Molecular Pharmaceutics
Distinguished Professor, Biomedical Engineering
The main focus of research in the Ghandehari laboratory is the design of recombinant polymers for gene and drug delivery, targeted delivery of polymer therapeutics to solid tumors, oral delivery of chemotherapeutics, and the assessment of the biocompatibility of silica and dendritic nanoconstructs. Dr. Ghandehari is Editor in Chief of Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, and the Controlled Release Society. He serves on the scientific advisory boards of several national and international drug delivery organizations. He has published over 250 articles, and given over 250 invited talks. He received his BS in Pharmacy and PhD in Molecular Pharmaceutics from the University of Utah.
Dr. Abby Pulsipher
Assistant Professor, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery; Research Assistant Professor, Molecular Pharmaceutics
Dr. Pulsipher's research interests include the development and evaluation of new disease models, biotherapeutics, and diagnostic solutions for respiratory diseases and oncology. Active programs include (i) developing synthetic glycosaminoglycans as new anti-inflammatory and mucolytic therapeutics for chronic rhinosinusitis and as immune-modulating adjuvant therapies for head and neck cancers and radiation-induced toxicities, (ii) optimizing and clinically evaluating a new diagnostic and prognostic point-of-care test for eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis, (iii) employing integrated omics to define molecular endotypes, map spatio-temporal inflammatory profiles, and identify predictive and prognostic biomarkers of clinical outcomes in chronic rhinosinusitis, and (iv) elucidating molecular mechanisms of epithelial cell dysregulation and mucosal remodeling in airway diseases. Dr. Pulsipher holds a joint faculty position in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Molecular Pharmaceutics, serves as the Director of Basic Sciences and Translational Rhinology Research (Division of Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery), and sits on the Board at GlycoMira Therapeutics.
Dr. Nitish Khurana
Research Assistant Professor, Molecular Pharmaceutics
Dr. Khurana is the Associate Director of the Utah Center for Nanomedicine and a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics at the University of Utah. His research focuses on the development and translation of nanomedicine and biomaterials platforms for oncology and critical care applications. His work integrates polymeric biomaterials, nanoparticles, and various drug delivery systems to address unmet clinical needs in cancer therapy, image-guided interventions, and extracorporeal technologies such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). A central theme of his research is the use of clinically relevant in vitro, ex vivo, and preclinical models to evaluate drug delivery, pharmacokinetics, and therapeutic performance under conditions that closely mimic human disease. Dr. Khurana actively collaborates with clinicians, engineers, and basic scientists to accelerate translation from bench to bedside and is committed to mentoring students and trainees in interdisciplinary nanomedicine research. His research has resulted in peer-reviewed publications and funded projects aimed at improving patient outcomes.
Dr. Cansu Umran Tunc
Research Associate, Molecular Pharmaceutics
Dr. Tunc is a Research Associate in the Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics at the University of Utah, where her research centers on the development of advanced nanomedicine platforms for gene therapy applications. Her work focuses on the rational design, synthesis, and characterization of inorganic nanoparticles, DNA-based nanomaterials—including DNA origami—and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). These platforms are engineered for the efficient and targeted delivery of gene-modulatory therapeutics, such as antisense oligonucleotides and messenger RNA (mRNA), with particular emphasis on therapeutic strategies for cancer and degenerative diseases. A central theme of her research focuses on overcoming biological barriers for effective nucleic acid delivery by engineering nanoscale carriers that protect therapeutic payloads and enhance cellular internalization. These platforms are designed to deliver antisense oligonucleotides, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), and mRNAs with high efficiency and specificity—key challenges in translating gene therapies to clinical contexts. Her work integrates nanotechnology with molecular pharmaceutics to advance precision therapies for cancer and other complex diseases. Dr. Tunc’s scholarly contributions reflect her commitment to translational research at the intersection of nanotechnology, drug delivery, and gene therapy, and she continues to build collaborations that bridge fundamental science and therapeutic innovation.