Featured Post from University of Delaware

Armed with a new NIH grant, UD's Day Lab targets difficult-to-treat diseases with breakthrough therapies

Oct 31, 2023

2 min

The University of Delaware's Day Lab, led by associate professor Emily Day, is conducting innovative research on high-precision therapies using unique nanoparticles. With a recent R35 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the lab aims to advance the design and use of nanoparticles for managing various diseases, including cancers, blood disorders, and reproductive health conditions. The lab specializes in developing nanomaterials with properties that allow them to target specific cells, evade immune detection and deliver therapeutic cargo effectively. The focus is on understanding the interaction of these nanoparticles with cells and tissues to improve the study, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases.

What sets Day's group apart is its ability to bridge the gap between fundamental research and practical applications in nanomedicine. The lab received an NIH Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA) to support their research for five years, providing stability and flexibility to pursue breakthroughs in overcoming biological barriers to nanoparticle delivery. Key research questions include understanding protein corona-mediated immune clearance and how nanoparticles cross blood vessel walls, addressing challenges in particle distribution and targeting. Overcoming these barriers could significantly enhance the clinical impact of nanomedicine and improve the treatment of various diseases.

While the lab's research is fundamental, its implications extend broadly across the field of nanomedicine. The discoveries made, particularly in membrane-wrapping research, may have applications in enhancing the effectiveness of treatments, such as mRNA COVID vaccines, by preventing clearance from the body.

Researchers are hopeful that their work will contribute to advancements in targeted therapies, making them more widely available for various diseases.

To arrange an interview with Day, visit her profile and click the "contact" button.

Find Experts

Aug 26, 2026

1 min

How Trade Wars Are Reshaping Fashion and Apparel

Trade disputes and tariffs have become an increasingly common part of the global economic landscape, with the fashion and apparel industry often caught in the crossfire. University of Delaware professor Sheng Lu can explain how these disruptions reshape sourcing decisions, supply chains, prices and the products ultimately available to consumers. Lu can discuss: • How new tariffs, including those on Canadian jackets and wool products, could affect consumers, fashion companies and apparel supply chains. • How tariffs can affect apparel prices and product availability for U.S. consumers. • Why fashion and apparel supply chains are particularly vulnerable to trade policy changes. • The impact of trade disputes on fashion companies and retailers in the U.S. and abroad. • What previous trade disputes can tell us about the potential consequences of tariffs. To arrange an interview, visit Lu's profile and click on the “contact” button. Interested reporters can also email MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Aug 25, 2026

1 min

Epidemiologist Available to Discuss Measles, Vaccination and Infectious Disease Outbreaks

As measles cases continue to rise in the United States, University of Delaware epidemiologist Jennifer Horney is available to discuss measles outbreaks, vaccination, vaccine hesitancy and the challenges of preventing the spread of highly contagious infectious diseases. The deaths of two unvaccinated Pennsylvania residents from measles — the first measles deaths in the state in 35 years — underscore the continuing public health risks posed by the disease. Horney, a former member of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Board of Scientific Counselors, is an experienced epidemiologist who studies infectious disease outbreaks and public health preparedness. Horney can discuss: • Measles outbreaks and transmission: Why measles is among the most contagious infectious diseases and how outbreaks spread. • Vaccination: The effectiveness of the MMR vaccine and the importance of maintaining high vaccination rates. • Vaccine hesitancy and misinformation: What influences vaccination decisions and how public health messaging affects perceptions of vaccine and infectious disease risks. • Measles prevention and treatment: Why outbreaks can reemerge when vaccination coverage falls, and the role and limitations of vitamin A and other treatments. • Outbreak response and preparedness: How public health officials investigate and respond to measles and other infectious disease outbreaks, and what can be learned from previous outbreaks. To reach Horney directly and arrange an interview, visit her profile and click on the “contact” button. Interested reporters can also email MediaRelations@udel.edu.

Aug 10, 2026

1 min

Experts on earthquake response, community recovery and building safety

The shaking from a major earthquake may be over in minutes, but its consequences will last for years. University of Delaware experts can address emergency response, distributing aid, assessing damaged buildings, helping vulnerable communities and planning for long-term recovery. Their expertise is particularly relevant as communities across Latin America respond to major earthquakes, including the deadly magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia. Tricia Wachtendorf, co-director of UD’s Disaster Research Center, offers expertise on how governments, nonprofits, emergency responders and community groups coordinate following a major disaster. Her research examines the role of spontaneous or “emergent” groups, humanitarian aid and donations, and how communities and organizations respond in the aftermath of disasters. Jennifer Trivedi, associate professor of anthropology and Disaster Research Center faculty member, specializes in disaster vulnerability and why some communities are more severely affected than others. She also addresses the long-term recovery needs and planning that emerge after the immediate crisis. Michael Chajes, professor of civil and environmental engineering, provides expertise on the structural damage caused by earthquakes, why some buildings collapse while others withstand the shaking and how engineers assess damaged structures and improve earthquake resilience. To arrange an interview with one of these experts, visit their profiles and click on the contact button. Interested reporters can also email MediaRelations@udel.edu.