Federal Grant Award Summary

Arizona State University received a five-year CAREER Project Grant of $561,273 awarded May 1, 2026, from the National Science Foundation's Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems under the Engineering program (CFDA 47.041). The grant supports research focused on developing biomimetic nanoparticles engineered to deliver therapeutic agents across inflamed blood-brain barriers for treatment of neurological disorders such as stroke and dementia. The core product involves monocyte membrane-cloaked nanoparticles surface-modified with brain-vasculature-targeting peptides that exploit natural adhesion mechanisms to achieve precision delivery to cerebrovascular lesion sites. Research objectives include engineering surface ligand display on monocyte-mimetic nanoparticles, determining binding mechanisms across distinct endothelial beds, and modeling targeting, adhesion, and transport mechanisms in disease-mimicking in vitro and in vivo models.

Beyond the primary research deliverables, the grant supports educational and outreach services designed to broaden participation and disseminate findings. These include undergraduate research opportunities, development of biomaterials learning modules, and creation of podcasts communicating bioengineering advances to general audiences. The integrated approach combines nanotechnology, bioengineering, vascular biology, and neuroscience to generate new strategies for precision nanomedicine that could inform therapeutic interventions for neuroinflammatory diseases.