BioEngineering

Suzie Pun, Assistant Professor

Thrust Areas
Engineered Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering
Molecular Bioengineering and Nanotechnology

Education
PhD (chemical engineering), California Institute of Technology, 2000
MS (chemical engineering), California Institute of Technology, 1998
BS (chemical engineering), Stanford University, 1996

 photo of Dr. Pun

Research Interests
    •  Macromolecule transport
    •  Non-viral gene delivery
    •  Intracellular trafficking

Contact Information
Department of Bioengineering
University of Washington
Box 355061
William H. Foege Building, Room N530P
Phone: 206.685.3488
Fax: 206.543.6124
E-mail: spun@u.washington.edu
Website: http://faculty.washington.edu/spun

Research Description

Many current drug delivery designs have made significant improvements in overcoming extracellular barriers (e.g., stability of vehicles, increased circulation in vivo, optimal tissue targeting and delivery). However, the trafficking of delivered material after cellular uptake often remains inefficient. Understanding and overcoming the limitations in intracellular trafficking would therefore have broad applications in the field of drug delivery.

Our research is focused on accomplishing efficient, organelle-specific delivery of macromolecules by:

  1. Quantitatively understanding the subcellular transport of macromolecules

  2. Using rational materials design to create delivery vehicles that harness and exploit natural transport pathways

In addition, we have projects applying drug delivery vehicles for disease applications, including hemophilia, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular disease.

Teaching Activities

Honors and Awards

  • 2005: NSF CAREER Award
  • 2004: National Hemophilia Foundation Career Development Award
  • 2004: Marian E. Smith Jr. Faculty Research Award, UW
  • 2002: MIT's Technology Review: "Top 100 Young Innovators"
  • 2000: Everhart Lectureship, California Institute of Technology

Selected Publications

  • Pun, S.H., Bellocq, N.C., Liu, A., Machemer, T., Maneval, D.C., Quijano, E., Schluep, T., Wen, S., Engler, H., Heidel, J., and Davis, M.E. (2004) Cyclodextrin-poly(ethylenimine) polymers for gene delivery. Biocongugate Chemistry 15:831-840.
  • Pun, S.H., Bellocq, N.C., Cheng, J., Grubbs, B.H., Jensen, G.S., Davis, M.E., Tack, F., Brewster, M., Janicot, M., Janssens, B., Floren, W., Bakker, A. (2004) Biodistribution of RNA-cleaving DNA enzyme (DNAzyme) to tumor tissue by tranferrin-modified, cyclodextrin-based particles. Cancer Biology and Therapy 7:641-650.
  • Bellocq, N.C., Kang, D.W., Wang, X., Jensen, G.S., Pun, S.H., Schleup, T., Zepeda, M.L., and Davis, M.E. (2004) Synthetic Biocompatible Cyclodextrin-based Constructs for Local Gene Delivery to Improve Cutaneous Wound Healing. Bioconjugate Chemistry 15:1201-1211.
  • Davis, M.E., Pun, S.H., Bellocq, N.C., Reineke, T.M., Popielarski, S.R., Mishra, S., and Heidel, J. (2004) Self-assemblying nucleic acid delivery vehicles via linear, water-soluble, cyclodextrin-containing polymers. Current Medicinal Chemistry 11(2):179-197.
  • Bellocq, N.C., Pun, S.H., Jensen, G.S. and Davis, M.E. (2003) Synthesis of transferrin-PEG conjugates and preparation of transferrin-modified polyplexes for tumor-targeted gene delivery. Bioconjugate Chemistry 14:1122-1132.
  • Pun, S.H. and Davis M.E. (2002) Development of a non-viral gene delivery vehicle for systemic application. Bioconjugate Chemistry 13:630-639.
  • Hwang, S.J., Bellocq, N.C. and Davis, M.E. (2001) Effects of structure of betacyclodextrin-containing polymers on gene delivery. Bioconjugate Chemistry 12(2): 280-290.
  • Gonzalez, H., Hwang, S.J. and Davis, M.E. (1999) New class of polymers for the delivery of macromolecular therapeutics. Bioconjugate Chemistry 10:1068-1074.