Mark W. Grinstaff, PhD

William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor

Mark Grinstaff
617.358.3429
590 Commonwealth Ave

Biography

Mark W. Grinstaff is a Distinguished Professor of Translational Research, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering, and Medicine as well as the Director of the NIH T32 Program in Biomaterials and the Director of the Nanotechnology Innovation Center at Boston University.

Mark received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois under the mentorship of Professor Kenneth S. Suslick and was an NIH postdoctoral fellow at the California Institute of Technology with Professor Harry B. Gray. Mark’s awards include the ACS Nobel Laureate Signature Award, NSF Career Award, Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences, Camille Dreyfus Teacher- Scholar, Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, the Edward M. Kennedy Award for Health Care Innovation, and a Founding Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. He is an author or co-author on more than 225 peer-reviewed manuscripts, given more than 300 oral presentations, and an inventor or co- inventor on more than 200 issued patents or pending applications. His students and fellows have given more than 125 oral presentations and 350 posters at national and international meetings.

Mark’s current research activities involve the synthesis of new macromolecules and biomaterials, self-assembly chemistry, imaging contrast agents, drug delivery, and wound repair. His group pursues highly interdisciplinary research in the areas of biomedical engineering and macromolecular chemistry. The major goal in these research projects is to elucidate the underlying fundamental chemistry and engineering principles and to use that insight to direct our creative and scientific efforts. In one of their current research projects, they are designing, synthesizing, and characterizing novel dendrimers, termed “biodendrimers,” for tissue engineering and biotechnological applications. Currently, they are evaluating these novel biomaterials for the repair of corneal lacerations, for the delivery of anti-cancer drugs, for the delivery of DNA, and as temporary biodegradable scaffolds for cartilage repair. In a second project, they are creating novel polymeric coatings termed “interfacial biomaterials” that control biology on plastic, metal, and ceramic surfaces. In a third project, they are designing new polymeric films and nanoparticles loaded with anticancer drugs for the prevention of recurrent cancer after surgical resection.

Mark is a co-founder of several companies that are commercializing his ideas, and he has several products being sold and used in the clinic.

Other Positions

  • Professor, Chemistry, Boston University College of Arts and Sciences
  • Director, Nanotechnology Innovation Center (BUnano), Boston University
  • Professor, Biomedical Engineering, Boston University College of Engineering
  • Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy, Sleep & Critical Care Medicine, Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
  • Associate Director for Engineering & Sciences, BU-BMC Cancer Center, Boston University
  • Member, Pulmonary Center, Boston University
  • Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research, Boston University
  • Member, Genome Science Institute, Boston University
  • Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students), Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Education

  • University of Illinois, PhD
  • Occidental College, AB

Publications

  • Published on 2/24/2024

    Stewart HL, Gilbert D, Stefanovski D, Garman Z, Albro MB, Bais M, Grinstaff MW, Snyder BD, Schaer TP. A missed opportunity: A scoping review of the effect of sex and age on osteoarthritis using large animal models. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2024 Feb 24. PMID: 38408635.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 2/21/2024

    Sabatelle RC, Chu NQ, Blessing W, Kharroubi H, Bressler E, Tsai L, Shih A, Grinstaff MW, Colson Y. Decreased Lung Metastasis in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Following Locally Delivered Supratherapeutic Paclitaxel-Loaded Polyglycerol Carbonate Nanoparticle Therapy. Biomacromolecules. 2024 Mar 11; 25(3):1800-1809. PMID: 38380618.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 12/5/2023

    Jäntti J, Joenathan A, Fugazzola M, Tuppurainen J, Honkanen JTJ, Töyräs J, van Weeren R, Snyder BD, Grinstaff MW, Matikka H, Mäkelä JTA. Cationic tantalum oxide nanoparticle contrast agent for micro computed tomography reveals articular cartilage proteoglycan distribution and collagen architecture alterations. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2024 Mar; 32(3):299-309. PMID: 38061579.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 11/7/2023

    Cooper BG, DeMoya CD, Sikes KJ, Frisbie DD, Phillips N, Nelson BB, McIlwraith CW, Kawcak CE, Goodrich LR, Snyder BD, Grinstaff MW. A polymer network architecture provides superior cushioning and lubrication of soft tissue compared to a linear architecture. Biomater Sci. 2023 Nov 07; 11(22):7339-7345. PMID: 37847186.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 10/25/2023

    Grazon C, Garanger E, Lalanne P, Ibarboure E, Galagan JE, Grinstaff MW, Lecommandoux S. Transcription-Factor-Induced Aggregation of Biomimetic Oligonucleotide-b-Protein Micelles. Biomacromolecules. 2023 Nov 13; 24(11):5027-5034. PMID: 37877162.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 10/17/2023

    Mahvi DA, Korunes-Miller J, Bordeianu C, Chu NQ, Geller AD, Sabatelle R, Berry S, Hung YP, Colson YL, Grinstaff MW, Raut CP. High dose, dual-release polymeric films for extended surgical bed paclitaxel delivery. J Control Release. 2023 Nov; 363:682-691. PMID: 37776906.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 9/17/2023

    McGee JE, Kirsch JR, Kenney D, Chavez E, Shih TY, Douam F, Wong WW, Grinstaff MW. Complete substitution with modified nucleotides suppresses the early interferon response and increases the potency of self-amplifying RNA. bioRxiv. 2023 Sep 17. PMID: 37745375.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 8/30/2023

    Orava H, Paakkari P, Jäntti J, Honkanen MKM, Honkanen JTJ, Virén T, Joenathan A, Tanska P, Korhonen RK, Grinstaff MW, Töyräs J, Mäkelä JTA. Triple contrast computed tomography reveals site-specific biomechanical differences in the human knee joint-A proof of concept study. J Orthop Res. 2024 Feb; 42(2):415-424. PMID: 37593815.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 8/28/2023

    Zhang S, Grifno G, Passaro R, Regan K, Zheng S, Hadzipasic M, Banerji R, O'Connor L, Chu V, Kim SY, Yang J, Shi L, Karrobi K, Roblyer D, Grinstaff MW, Nia HT. Intravital measurements of solid stresses in tumours reveal length-scale and microenvironmentally dependent force transmission. Nat Biomed Eng. 2023 Nov; 7(11):1473-1492. PMID: 37640900.

    Read at: PubMed
  • Published on 7/1/2023

    Bressler EM, Adams S, Liu R, Colson YL, Wong WW, Grinstaff MW. Boolean logic in synthetic biology and biomaterials: Towards living materials in mammalian cell therapeutics. Clin Transl Med. 2023 Jul; 13(7):e1244. PMID: 37386762.

    Read at: PubMed

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