Ronald J. Neufeld, Ph.D.
Professor
Tel: (613) 533-2827
Fax: (613) 533-6637
Email: neufeld@queensu.ca
Office: Bioscience Complex Room 1443A
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Ronald Neufeld
Research Interests
My research has been focused on the micro and nanoencapsulation of biologically active materials including cells, enzymes, nucleotides, genomic DNA, and therapeutic peptides and proteins. Encapsulation enables stabilization, retention, immunoprotection, controlled or targeted delivery, and cell growth in a protected environment. As tissues and biologicals are labile, encapsulation matrix/membrane materials and methods often involve use of natural materials such as polysaccharides and proteins, and thus the use of solvents, pH extremes and highly reactive conditions are avoided. The control of polymer matrix/membrane properties achieve specific encapsulation goals, such as bioactive retention and protection in the gastrointestinal tract, mucoadhesion and controlled permeability across the intestinal membrane, and thus oral delivery of a protein-based drug.
My research is interdisciplinary and collaborative, thus graduate students and researchers have opportunity to conduct research in collaborating labs. Active research areas are listed, with names of collaborators.
Long term sustained delivery of bioactive insulin for treatment of cutaneous wounds
Prof. Manuela Martins-Green, Dept of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, University of California, Riverside
Prof. Annelise Barron, Dept of Bioengineering, Stanford University
Extracellular matrix-based micro and nanofibre microbead scaffold for cell growth and implantation
Dr. Jean-Pierre Halle and Dr. Euridice Carmona, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, Lab for Bioartificial Therapies, Montreal
Prof. Annelise Barron, Dept of Bioengineering, Stanford University
Oral delivery of nanoparticulate insulin in control of diabetes
Dr. Christiane Damge, Universite Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France
Prof. Catarina Pinto Reis, Laboratory of Nanoscience and Biomedical Nanotechnology, ULHT, Lisbon
Prof. Bruno Sarmento, University of Porto, Portugal
Sustained delivery of novel drug in treatment of pancreatic cancer
Prof. Myron Szewczuk, Dept. Microbiology and Immunology, Queen's
Hybrid biomaterials for drug encapsulation and controlled release
Prof. Michael Cunningham, Dept. Chemical Engineering, Queen's
Prof. Pascale Champagne, Dept. Civil Engineering, Queen's
Prof. Ralph Whitney, Dept. Chemistry, Queen's
Design fundamentals for encapsulation processes
Prof. Denis Poncelet, ONIRIS, Nantes, France