Artzi Lab | From Bench to Bedside
Principal Investigator
Natalie Artzi is a HansjÓ§rg Wyss Associate Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard Medical School, Head of Structural Nanomedicine at Mass General Brigham's Gene and Cell Therapy Institute, Associate Institute Director of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, and Visiting Scientist at the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science at MIT. Dr. Artzi is a biomedical scientist-engineer renowned for transformative contributions to structural nanomedicine and pioneering work on tissue- and cell-responsive materials. Dr. Artzi developed materials that activate based on chemical cues, enabling targeted drug delivery, and creating a novel "depot effect" where nanotherapeutics are released to neighboring cells to enhance immune therapy.
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Dr. Artzi's program in tissue- and cell-responsive materials understands that personalized medicine can be applied to biomaterial design. Dr. Artzi has developed platforms that sense biological environments, enhance tissue repair, and report on tissue state. Her work has shown that material performance is contextual and that healing via implanted polymeric biomaterials is affected by inflammation or disease. Her lab has developed stable and potent immune modulatory nanostructures that activate target immune cells, enhance specificity and efficacy, shuttle drugs to specific organs, and interact with cancer and immune cells to modulate their phenotype. She also developed methodologies to track material erosion, drug distribution, and cell fate noninvasively.
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Dr. Artzi has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the 2024 Acta Biomaterialia Silver Medal, the 2024 Clemson Award for Applied Research, and the mid-career award from the Society for Biomaterials. She was the inaugural recipient of the Kabiller Rising Star Award in Nanomedicine. Artzi is a Fellow of both the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) and the Controlled Release Society, reflecting peer recognition of significant contributions to biomedical engineering and drug delivery technologies.
The Team
Instructors
Alexander Cryer, PhD
"Nanotechnology and drug delivery"
Alex is an instructor in cancer immunoengineering. He received his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry (2014) and Masters in Biomedical Research (2015) prior to obtaining a Ph.D. from Imperial College London, U.K. (2019), focused on the development of nanoparticle drug delivery systems for cancer therapy. His current work centralizes around engineering therapeutic cancer vaccines and improving immunotherapy delivery using biomaterials and nanotechnology.
Postdoctoral fellows
Eliz Amar-Lewis, PhD
"Biomaterials and drug delivery"
Eliz Amar-Lewis is a postdoctoral research fellow in drug delivery, gene therapy and biomaterials. She received her B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from Ben-Gurion University (BGU) and completed her M.Sc. and Ph.D at BGU under the supervision of Prof. Joseph Kost. In her research she studied polysaccharides for the delivery of nucleic acids (siRNA and pDNA) as a platform for cancer gene therapy and the application of therapeutic ultrasound as a means to overcome delivery barriers. In addition, studied and developed biomaterials for controlled release of drugs for several therapeutic applications. Her current focus is on the development of biomaterials-based nanoparticles for gene editing applications and cancer immunotherapy.
Tengyu He, PhD
"Nanomedicine and cancer immunotherapy"
Tengyu is a postdoctoral research fellow in nanomedicine for cancer immunotherapy. He received his Master of Science in Materials Science from University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China (2018) and Ph.D. in Materials Science from University of California San Diego, US (2023). His research centers on innovating nanomaterials and self-assembling peptides-based compounds for cancer immunotherapy. He currently focuses on amplifying cancer immunotherapies with immunogenic tumor cell death.
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Namrata Ramani, PhD
Namrata is a postdoctoral fellow at the Wyss Institute with a focus on biomaterials and cancer immunotherapy. She received her B.S. in Materials Engineering at the University of California at Los Angeles, and her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Northwestern University under the supervision of Professor Chad Mirkin. Her PhD research was focused on using programable DNA interactions to control the chemical and mechanical cell signaling environment of hydrogels. Her current research interests include designing new nanostructures that exhibit tissue tropism and using materials to understand and treat complex disease.
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Erin O'Brien, PhD
After graduating from Drexel University with a BS/MS in Biomedical Engineering, Erin worked as a research assistant at the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia. She returned to Drexel for her PhD, during which time she also conducted research at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands. Her PhD work sought to understand macrophage phenotype transitions and to leverage them in a cell therapy to promote tissue regeneration. Her primary research interests are biomaterials, immune engineering, and cancer immunotherapy.
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Yongkuk Park, PhD
Yongkuk is a postdoctoral research fellow with a focus on biomaterials, tissue engineering, and cancer immunotherapy. He earned his B.S. and M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Seoul, where he developed nucleic acid-based nanodrugs and hydrogels for cancer therapy. He completed his Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His Ph.D. work centered on bone organoid models to study localized bone remodeling and osteoporosis treatments. Currently in the Artzi Lab, he researches drug delivery systems for bone regeneration and immunotherapy.
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Michelle Dion, PhD
Michelle is a graduate of the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Medical Engineering and Medical Physics program. Her research interests are in nanotechnology, immune engineering, and drug delivery. Prior to graduate school, she worked at Genentech developing long-acting ocular drug delivery technologies and applying antibody engineering techniques for the optimization of ocular therapeutics. She received her S.B. in Chemical-Biological Engineering from MIT.
Zohar Pode, PhD
Zohar is an experienced organic chemist specializing in therapeutic oligonucleotide development and production. She served as Head of CMC and GMP Production Site Manager at Aummune, leading the development and clinical manufacturing of therapeutic oligonucleotides. Prior to that, she was Head of Chemistry at Aummune, managing preclinical development of DNA-based immune-oncology therapies. Zohar also worked as a Senior Research Scientist at Protekt Therapeutics, developing small-molecule drugs for neurodegenerative diseases. She holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the Weizmann Institute of Science, where her research focused on organic synthesis, biomolecule sensing, and bioconjugation.
Zhenyu Han, PhD
Zhenyu Han is a postdoctoral fellow working at the interface of chemistry and biologically inspired engineering. His research focuses on developing and applying biochemical tools to study chemical modifications of biomolecules such as DNA and proteins involved in immune pathways. In parallel, he aims to translate our molecular-level understanding into the design of next-generation cancer immunotherapies by expanding the chemical, structural, and topological toolbox of biomaterials. Zhenyu received his B.S. in Chemistry from the College of William & Mary, and Ph.D. in Chemistry from Northwestern University. During his doctoral research, he developed strategies to chemically modify proteins with nucleic acids, enabling DNA-directed assembly of protein polymers and 3D single crystals, intracellular delivery of CRISPR/Cas genome editors, and biomineralization of abiotic nanoparticles using protein cages.
Graduate Students
Arbri Kopliku
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Arbri is a PhD student in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Medical Engineering and Medical Physics program. He is excited about combining machine learning with drug delivery to develop novel biomaterial platforms for cancer immunoengineering. Arbri earned his B.Sc. in Biological Engineering from MIT, during which he worked at the MIT Center for Biomedical Innovation (Sinskey Lab), the Koch Institute (Hemann Lab), Moderna (Novel Biotherapeutics), and Eli Lilly (Delivery, Device, and Connected Systems). His previous experiences span biomanufacturing, combination chemotherapy, protein engineering, and medical devices.
Shashaank Venkatesh
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Shashaank is a PhD student in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Medical Engineering and Medical Physics program with a concentration in Biological Engineering. He is interested in studying the progression of cancer and the tumor microenvironment from the perspective of mechanobiology and statistical physics, and developing techniques to arrest and reverse cancer progression. He earned his BEng in biomedical engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS). During his undergraduate degree, he worked in the Computational Biology Lab, Advanced Robotics Center, Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, and Soft Nanobiomaterials Lab at NUS, as well as at the Medical Microsystems Lab at ETH Züric and the Biomanufacturing Technology Lab at A*STAR in Singapore.
Logan Beatty​
Logan is a PhD student in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Medical Engineering and Medical Physics program with a concentration in biological engineering, and a NSF Graduate Research Fellow. He is interested in exploring how biomaterials can be engineered to regulate the immune system on a localized scale in autoimmune disease contexts. He earned his B.S. in biomedical engineering at the University of Miami, where he worked in the Mechanobiology Lab, the Islet Immunoengineering Lab, and for Akron Biotechnology.
Nelly Andrews Interiano​
Nelly is a Master’s student in Biotechnology at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico, where she previously earned her BS in Nanotechnology Engineering. During her undergraduate studies, she engaged in pioneering projects focused on developing drug delivery systems utilizing polymeric and lipid nanoparticles for applications in cancer immunotherapy and bone regeneration. Driven by her deep passion for nanotechnology as a revolutionary approach in cancer treatment, Nelly is now working on the development of a polymeric nanoparticle-based delivery system. Her current research integrates nanotechnology and immunology, demonstrating her dedication to enhancing cancer therapy and advancing the frontiers of innovation in drug delivery systems.
Undergraduates
Alexa Hinojosa Ortiz
Alexa Hinojosa Ortiz is a Biotechnology Engineering student at Tec de Monterrey. Her academic journey has been marked by a commitment to research, leadership, and scientific dissemination. Alexa has gained hands-on experience in microbiology, cell culture, molecular biology, and cloning, through various research projects. In February 2024, she completed a research internship at the Center for Research and Assistance in Technology and Design of the State of Jalisco (CIATEJ) in a BSL-2 laboratory, where she focused on antiviral peptides against HSV-1. Additionally, she contributed to the Institute for Obesity Research, where she evaluated the therapeutic potential of phenolic compounds. Alexa is curious, enthusiastic, and tenacious. Driven to make a meaningful impact on research in Mexico, Alexa founded "Chicas de Ciencia" to encourage more girls and young women to pursue careers in science. Her research in the Artzi Lab explores drug delivery, biomaterials, nanotechnology, and immunology, including microneedle-based delivery of anti-inflammatory lipid nanoparticles for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and transplant rejection.
Alejandra Anahi Lam Rodriguez
Alejandra is an undergraduate student majoring in Nanotechnology Engineering at Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Monterrey. She is passionate about innovative nanotechnology applications in the medical field. Her previous experience includes research on cervical cancer, material analysis to enhance drug solubility in cancer therapies, and contributions to developing heart attack biosensors. Alejandra is actively involved in extracurricular activities, including participating in an electrochromic coatings research team and co-organizing the NanoTech Workshop.
Linda Yael Ramírez González
Linda is a medical student at Tecnologico de Monterrey in Mexico, with a strong passion for exploring new challenges and opportunities in medicine. She believes that research is key to providing the best care for patients, which is why she’s dedicated to expanding her research knowledge and skills to become the best doctor she can be. She’s been working towards this by participating in cancer research programs at MD Anderson and is now gaining meaningful experience as a student intern contributing to making progress in nanomedicine.
Lavi Madjar
Lavi is an undergraduate at the University of Florida studying Biochemistry, where he gained experience working with bacteriophages, and primarily worked on searching for influential m6A modifications of 7SK snRNA. He is passionate about searching for mechanisms of oncogenesis, particularly the role of RNA, and how immunotherapy for cancer and drug delivery can be solved using innovative biomaterials.
Ana Sofia López Rodríguez
Sofi is a medical student at Tecnologico de Monterrey with extensive experience in both basic and clinical research at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is deeply passionate about advancing patient care through innovative medical research, which she sees as essential to the future of healthcare. Her current academic interests lie in immunology and histology, where she hopes to make meaningful contributions through continued research and clinical application.
Jeel Patel
Jeel Patel is an undergraduate at Purdue University studying Health and Disease Sciences, as well as Psychology and Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS). She is passionate about research related to drug delivery through biomaterials. She hopes to contribute to make positive changes in the drug industry through research and new techniques.
Grisha Tamazyan
Grisha is a Molecular and Cell Biology student at the University of California, San Diego, with a strong interest in genetic engineering, oncology, and translational medicine. He has contributed to several research projects, including the development of Prime Editing technologies, bioinformatics analyses of human brain organoids sent to the International Space Station in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, and the differentiation of human cardiac cells from stem cells for use in drug development and disease modeling. Grisha also interned at Adcentrx Therapeutics, where he supported research on antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for targeted cancer therapies. His research experience spans molecular biology, tissue culture, genetic engineering, bioinformatics, and mouse handling. As an aspiring physician-scientist, he plans to pursue an MD-PhD with a focus on molecular oncology.
Dina Kaplan
Dina is an undergraduate at Brown University, concentrating in Applied Mathematics-Biology on the premedical track. Her research at the Artzi Lab focuses on innovative drug delivery systems, specifically nanoparticle-based immunotherapies in glioblastoma treatment. At Brown's Wharton Lab, she explores metabolomics and transcriptomic in ALS models, leveraging computational methods to unravel complex disease mechanisms. She is passionate about utilizing bioresponsive materials and interdisciplinary approaches to enhance cancer immunotherapy, aiming to translate scientific insights into clinically impactful solutions. Driven by her personal journey undergoing multiple craniofacial surgeries, Dina also advocates for comprehensive and empathetic healthcare, exemplified by her children's book, "My Beautiful Scar," which supports pediatric patients nationwide.
Alumni
Nuria Puigmal Dominguez, PhD
Pere Dosta Pons, PhD
Fiona Freeman, PhD
Gonzalo Munoz Taboada, PhD
Daniel Dahis, PhD
Yi Zhang, PhD
Kui Wang, PhD
Sara Strecker, PhD
Shimon Unterman, PhD
Lyndon Charles, PhD
Christina Arnold, PhD
Hyun Seok Song, PhD
Nuria Oliva, PhD
João Conde, PhD
Maria Poley, PhD
William Sawyer
Beatriz Nicolas Ruiz
Andrea Michasevich Soto
Daniela Simental Lopez
Nicole Casteele Hernandez
Angela Villarreal Jezzini
Audrey Struzyk
Amelya Fox
Serly Chohmalian
Carlos Oliva Estrada
Leonardo de la Parra Soto
Romy El Khoury
Berta Vall Brossa
Silvia Vargas Franyuti
Santiago Barragan Hernandez
Livani Nalai Diaz Mercado
María Alejandra Hernández Mustieles
Gabriela Garcia De Leon Carmona
Claudia Andrea Morales Garay
Kalaumari Mayoral Peña
Shani Elgin
Michaela Nicole Prado Larrea
Ana Sofia Kay Carrasco Brito
Alejandro A. Espinosa Perez
Diana Michelle Ocampo Alvarado
Natalia Ramírez
Diane Cruz Manjarrez
Kristen Alexandra Rodrigues
Nir Margalit
Mariana Atilano
Ana Paula Cosme Lozano
Cynthia Ramírez Rodríguez
Orlando González Ortiz
Pau Hurtado Niubò
Alma Lorena Rodríguez Curiel
Mariana Alonso Riquelme
Cristobal Riojas Javelly
Ivana Ling
Triana Mayra Sánchez Huerta
Diego Fernando Ruiz Aguilar
Oscar Yael Perez Soria
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