Villanova University was founded in 1842 by the Order of Saint Augustine. To this day, Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition is the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. Villanova prepares students to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them.


The strength of the Villanova experience comes in part from the University’s welcoming community. All members are bonded together by a shared responsibility to uphold the ideals of Saint Augustine and let the principles of truth, unity and love guide their lives. The Villanova community helps students grow intellectually, professionally and spiritually, and challenges them to reach their full potential.


The University’s rigorous academic experience, rooted in the liberal arts, forms an environment in which students and professors are partners in learning. The Villanova community is dedicated to providing a personalized experience that fosters every student’s intellectual and spiritual well-being. As part of their education, students are encouraged to enrich their own lives by working for those in need. Through academic and service programs, students use their knowledge, skills and compassion to better the world around them.


There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University’s six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. These colleges are the setting for an experience that develops both the heart and the mind, and creates the atmosphere where students are called to ignite change.


Villanova University is located in a suburban community 12 miles west of Philadelphia, Pa.

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The CAREER Program offers the National Science Foundation's most prestigious award in support of the early career-development activities of those teacher-scholars who most effectively integrate research and education within the context of the mission of their organization. Dr. Elmer’s award will support the study of the innate immune response to non-viral gene therapy in non-immune cells (e.g. prostate or breast cancer cells).

2017 NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award

The Outstanding Faculty Award recognizes a faculty member, preferably within the first five years of his/her appointment, who has contributed to the profession through publications and presentations in his/her field, demonstrated commitment to teaching and students and a strong record of service to the department, college, university and professional organizations.

2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChe) Outstanding Faculty Award

Dual BS degrees in Biochemical Engineering and Biological Sciences

Optimizing the lyophilization of Lumbricus terrestris erythrocruorin

Sequencing of the Lumbricus terrestris genome reveals degeneracy in its erythrocruorin genes

Optimization of electroporation and other non-viral gene delivery strategies for T cells

Prolonging the shelf life of Lumbricus terrestris erythrocruorin for use as a novel blood substitute

Dr. Elmer leads the Drug Discovery and Development Laboratory at Villanova College of Engineering, which performs research in two major areas: Genetic Engineering and the development of Blood Substitutes. 

Genetic Engineering: 
Decades of research have yielded several vehicles that can efficiently deliver genes to human cells (e.g. viruses, lipids, polymers), but most transgenes are recognized as foreign and quickly silenced after they reach the nucleus. Dr. Elmer’s research focuses on enhancing and prolonging transgene expression to make gene therapy more effective - specifically, enhancing gene expression inside T cells, which can then be genetically reprogrammed and used to target and eradicate leukemia cells.

Blood Substitutes: 
A shortage in human blood donations is a serious and life-threatening issue that plagues developing countries, battlefields and healthcare facilities alike. Dr. Elmer’s research is focused on finding a universal donor “blood substitute” that is safe, stable for long periods of time and is an effective oxygen carrier. His research is currently focused on developing invertebrate hemoglobins as novel blood substitutes.

Blood Donation

CAR-T Cell Therapy

Cellular Engineering

CRISPR-Cas9

Gene Therapy

Genetic Engineering

GMOs

Hemoglobin

Immunotherapy

Drug Discovery and Development Laboratory

Synthetic Blood Substitute Research Advances Rapidly

How Earthworms Could Be Used to Save Lives on the Battlefield

This Villanova Researcher is Using Earthworms to Create a Human Blood Substitute

Villanova Professor Sees Earthworms as Hope for Human Blood Substitute

CAREER: Manipulating the Innate Immune Response to Improve Gene Therapy

Evaluation of Invertebrate Hemoglobins as Effective, Safe, and Ultra-Stable Blood Substitutes

Biomanufacturing: Optimizing the Isolation, Transfection, and Expansion of CAR-T cells with Modified PES Membranes

Manipulating Epigenetic Mechanisms to Enhance Non-Viral Transgene Expression

Dicciani Endowed Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering | College of Engineering

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