MU’s Mundra receives New Investigator Award for cancer research
FORT WAYNE – A Manchester University pharmacy faculty member has been awarded a national grant to research a method of delivering anticancer drugs for treating multiple myeloma.
Vaibhav Mundra was selected for his proposal, “Formulation of Micelles for Co-Delivery of Bortezomib and Doxorubicin.” Sponsored by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the New Investigator Award provides funding up to $10,000 for independent research by early-career pharmacy faculty.
The research focuses on the design of nanosized micelles – an aggregate of only a few nanometers – that can be used to improve delivery of drugs.
“These micelles are 1,000 times smaller than human cells, and their extremely small size increases the accumulation of drug within the cancer tissue,” Mundra said. “In this project, we will be synthesizing new materials to enclose two FDA-approved chemo drugs, Bortezomib and Doxorubicin, in nanosized micelles to achieve high accumulation in tumor and spare the surrounding healthy tissues.”
Dr. Mundra, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, joined the Manchester University Pharmacy Program in 2016. The Fort Wayne resident earned his Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where he served as a graduate research assistant in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
In addition to the grant, Mundra will receive a $1,000 travel award from the AACP to present his research findings at the group’s 2020 national meeting.
This is the second year in a row a Manchester faculty member has been selected for the New Investigator Award. Last year’s recipient was Diane Calinski, to research the metabolism of synthetic drugs commonly referred to as “bath salts.” She is an assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacogenomics.
For the media
To contact Dr. Mundra: vymundra@manchester.edu
About Manchester
Manchester University is a leading health science educator in northeast Indiana. It offers more than 60 areas of undergraduate study with a rich liberal arts curriculum, two master's programs (athletic training and pharmacogenomics), a professional doctorate in pharmacy, a dual degree in pharmacy and pharmacogenomics, and customized corporate education programs. With campuses in North Manchester and Fort Wayne, Ind., Manchester serves nearly 1,600 students. Learn more at www.manchester.edu.
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February 2019