Paula T. Hammond

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Paula T. Hammond
Drug Delivery, Cancer immunology
InstitutionsMassachusetts Institute of Technology
ThesisThe Synthesis, Characterization and Optical Properties of Novel Diacetylene-Containing Aromatic Liquid Crystalline Polymers (1993)
Doctoral advisorMichael Rubner
Other academic advisorsGeorge M. Whitesides
Doctoral studentsJodie Lutkenhaus
LaShanda Korley
Websitehttps://hammondlab.mit.edu/

Paula Therese Hammond (born September 3, 1963) is an Institute Professor[1] and the Vice Provost for Faculty[2] at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She was the first woman and person of color appointed as head of the Chemical Engineering department.[3] Her laboratory designs polymers and nanoparticles for drug delivery and energy-related applications including batteries and fuel cells.[4]

Hammond has been the recipient of numerous awards and is a member of the National Academy of Medicine (2016),[5] the National Academy of Engineering (2017, “for contributions to self-assembly of polyelectrolytes, colloids, and block copolymers at surfaces and interfaces for energy and healthcare applications”),[6] the National Academy of Sciences (2019),[7] and the National Academy of Inventors (2021).[8]

She is an intramural faculty member of the

Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research and an Associate Editor of ACS Nano.[9][10]

Early life and education

External videos
video icon “I learned to not be intimidated by the problem”, Science History Institute

Hammond was born in 1963 in Detroit, Michigan[11] as Paula Therese Goodwin to parents Jesse Francis and Della Mae Goodwin (née McGraw). Her father has a Ph.D in Biochemistry and her mother has a master's degree in nursing.[12]

Goodwin graduated a year prior to her expected date at the

Georgia Institute of Technology in 1988,[12] while working at Georgia Tech Research Institute as a research engineer.[15] Hammond's master's thesis was on conducting elastomers for robotic tactile sensors.[11][16]

In 1988, she returned to MIT to earn her Ph.D. in chemical engineering (granted in 1993).[12] At MIT she worked under the supervision of Michael F. Rubner. Her Ph.D. thesis research focused on synthesizing polymers with mechanochromic properties.[11] After completing her Ph.D., Hammond was a NSF Postdoctoral Fellow with George M. Whitesides in the chemistry department at Harvard University.

Research and career

In 1995 Hammond was appointed to

siRNA
delivery for cancer treatment as well as artificial polypeptides and polymeric nucleic acids to engage biology and build novel drug systems.

Medical applications

Hammond has developed "stealth polymers" to disguise cancer chemotherapeutics contained in nanoparticles so that they can reach tumors.[20] She also works on ways to transport RNA into cells to either increase[21] or decrease the expression of specific genes.[22]

Hammond cofounded MIT's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology, a partnership between MIT, the Army, and industry partners to develop nanotechnology to improve soldier "protection and survivability."[23][14] As part of this program, Hammond designed a spray that helps blood clot to prevent blood loss.[14]

Hammond developed LayerForm™️ technology to build drug delivery films with alternating drug and polymer layers. In 2013, she co-founded a biotechnology company, LayerBio Inc. to commercialize LayerForm™️ for regenerative medicine applications.[24][18]

Hammond is a member of the board of directors for Alector, a biotech company focusing on immuno-neurology.[25] She is also a member of the board of director for Burroughs Wellcome Fund.[26]

Energy and fuel cells

Hammond also works on the development of polymers for use in batteries thin films of carbon microtubules that can be used in batteries, solar cells, and fuel cells.[4] She presented research on virus-based batteries to Barack Obama in 2009.[14]

Honors and recognitions

Hammond has received multiple honors and awards throughout her career. As a graduate student in 1992, she was awarded a Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship from the National Academy of Sciences.

NSF CAREER Award for Young Investigators[29] in 1997. In 2013, Hammond was one of three African-American female fellows to be elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was elected to the National Academy of Medicine[30] and the National Academy of Engineering[31] in rapid succession in 2016 and 2017, respectively, the National Academy of Sciences[32] in 2019 and finally the National Academy of Inventors[8] in 2021. In 2021 Hammond was also selected to be a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) under President Biden.[33] In 2024, Hammond was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry for innovative methods to create novel materials one molecular layer at a time and for applying these materials to areas ranging from drug delivery to energy storage.[34]

Selected bibliography

  • Nam, K. T.; Kim, DW; Yoo, PJ; Chiang, CY; Meethong, N; Hammond, PT; Chiang, YM; Belcher, AM (2006). "Virus-Enabled Synthesis and Assembly of Nanowires for Lithium Ion Battery Electrodes". Science. 312 (5775): 885–8.
    S2CID 5105315
    .
  • Hammond, P. T. (2004). "Form and Function in Multilayer Assembly: New Applications at the Nanoscale". Advanced Materials. 16 (15): 1271–1293. .
  • Hammond, Paula T (1999). "Recent explorations in electrostatic multilayer thin film assembly". Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science. 4 (6): 430–442. .

References

  1. ^ "Paula Hammond and Arup Chakraborty named Institute Professors". MIT News. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  2. ^ "Paula Hammond appointed vice provost for faculty". MIT Organizational Chart. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  3. ^ "Paula Hammond named head of Department of Chemical Engineering". MIT News. Retrieved 2017-05-11.
  4. ^ a b Trafton, Anne. "Harnessing the Power of Polymers". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  5. ^ "National Academy of Medicine Member Page". www.nam.edu. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  6. ^ "National Academy of Engineering Member Page". www.nae.edu. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  7. ^ "National Academy of Sciences Member Page". www.nasonline.org. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
  8. ^ a b "NAI 2021 Class of Fellows" (PDF). Retrieved 2021-12-07.
  9. ^ "Editorial Board". pubs.acs.org. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  10. ^ "The Koch Institute: Paula T. Hammond". ki.mit.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  11. ^ .
  12. ^ a b c d "Paula Hammond". Science History Institute. 29 June 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  13. ^ "Paula T. Hammond '84, PhD '93 | MIT Infinite History". infinitehistory.mit.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  14. ^ a b c d "The Paula T. Hammond Lab". Science | AAAS. 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  15. ^ "Career Ladder: Paula Hammond". Chemical & Engineering News. February 22, 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
  16. OCLC 19115234
    .
  17. ^ "Paula Hammond". Science History Institute. 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  18. ^ a b "Paula Hammond on women in science: Life will always be busy; start a company anyway". Chemical & Engineering News. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  19. PMID 27163008
    .
  20. ^ "Faculty highlight: Paula Hammond". MIT News. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  21. ^ "Bio-inspired approach to RNA delivery". MIT News. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  22. ^ "Practicing medicine at the nanoscale: New approaches to drug delivery offer hope for new, more targeted treatments". Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  23. ^ "Institute For Soldier Nanotechnologies – Mission". isnweb.mit.edu. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  24. ^ "LayerForm". LayerBio. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  25. ^ "Alector Announces the Appointment of Paula Hammond, Ph.D., to the Board of Directors | Alector". investors.alector.com. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  26. ^ "BWF Board". Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Retrieved 2022-03-02.
  27. ^ https://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/fordfellowships/pga_171939
  28. ^ "Grantee Research Project Results Search | Research Project Database | Grantee Research Project | ORD | US EPA". cfpub.epa.gov. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  29. ^ "NSF Award Search: Award#9702752 – CAREER: Control Through Molecular Design in Engineering: Molecular Order and Function from Ionic Multilayers of Liquid Crystal Polymers". www.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  30. ^ "Paula Hammond elected to the National Academy of Medicine". MIT News. Retrieved 2017-05-11.
  31. ^ "Eight MIT faculty elected to the National Academy of Engineering". MIT News. Retrieved 2017-05-11.
  32. ^ "Three from MIT elected to the National Academy of Sciences for 2019". MIT News. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  33. ^ "President Biden Announces Members of President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology". The White House. 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2021-12-30.
  34. ^ Franklin Institute (2024-01-30). "The Franklin Institute Celebrates 200 Years of Recognizing in Science and Technology with Announcement of 2024 Franklin Institute Awards Laureates | The Franklin Institute". fi.edu. Retrieved 2024-02-06.

External links