Faculty/Staff

Balaji Narasimhan

  • Anson Marston Distinguished Professor and Vlasta Klima Balloun Chair

Main Office

2035 Sweeney Hall
Ames, IA 50011-2150
Phone: 515-294-8019
Fax: 515-294-9273

Email: nbalaji@iastate.edu



Education

  • Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Purdue University, 1996
  • B.S. Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, 1992

Interest Areas

BALAJI NARASIMHAN'S RESEARCH PAGE
Our research is focused on the molecular design of nanoscale polymer systems and biomaterials to precisely control molecular architecture and functionality in these systems. The overall goal is to answer critical questions related to organization and dynamics occurring on length scales ranging from the nanometer to the micron-scale at surfaces of and interfaces between nanoparticles, inorganic materials (e.g., Si surfaces), cells, and biomolecules (e.g., drugs, proteins). The tools that we utilize include novel synthesis methodologies, precise functionalization of nanoparticles, and state-of-the-art surface/interfacial characterization. Our current research thrusts are in the areas of functionalized nanoparticles for targeted vaccine and drug delivery and nanomedicine, rational protein stabilization strategies using nanostructured biodegradable block copolymers, multifunctional nanoparticles for biosensing and enzymatic biocatalysis, and the development of combinatorial and high throughput technology for synthesis and testing of biomaterials. Our research is currently funded by NSF, NIH, DOD, and USDA. Teaching Fall Semester 2017
  • Ch E 357, Transport Phenomena II

Brief Biography

Selected Honors and Awards

  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2011
  • Plenary Speaker for Area 15, Annual AIChE Meeting, Minneapolis, MN, 2011
  • IITSINE Alumni Service Award, 2011
  • Vlasta Klima Balloun Professor of Engineering, 2010 Iowa State University
  • Award for Mid-Career Achievement in Research, 2008 Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, 2008
  • Named by MIT’s Technology Review Magazine as one of the World’s Top 100 Young Innovators with the TR100 Award, 2003
  • ISU Foundation Early Excellence in Research Award, 2003
  • 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award, 2003
  • ISU Engineering Student Council Leadership Award, 2002
  • Whitaker Foundation Biomedical Engineering Research Award, 2000
  • Best Doctoral Dissertation in Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering, Purdue University, 1996

Selected Publications

  • A Ghosh, MR Langley, D Harischandra, ML Neal, H Jin, V Anantharam, J Joseph, TM Brenza, B Narasimhan, A Kanthasamy, B Kalyanaraman, and AG Kanthasamy, “Mitoapocynin treatment protects against neuroinflammation and dopaminergic neurodegeneration in a preclinical animal model of Parkinson’s Disease,” J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 11(2), 259-78 (2016)
  • Y Phanse, P Lueth, AE Ramer-Tait, BR Carrillo-Conde, MJ Wannemuehler, B Narasimhan, and BH Bellaire, “Cellular internalization mechanisms of polyanhydride particles: implications for rational design of drug delivery vehicles,” J Biomed Nanotechnol 12(7), 1544-52 (2016)
  • KA Ross, JR Adams, H Loyd, S Ahmed, A Sambol, SR Broderick, K Rajan, M Kohut, T Bronich, MJ Wannemuehler, S Carpenter, SK Mallapragada, and B Narasimhan, “Combination nanovaccine demonstrates synergistic enhancement in efficacy against influenza,” ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2(3), 368-74 (2016)
  • JE Vela Ramirez, LT Tygrett, J Hao, HH Habte, MW Cho, NS Greenspan, TJ Waldschmidt, and B Narasimhan, “Polyanhydride nanovaccines induce germinal center B cell formation and sustained serum antibody responses,” J Biomed Nanotechnol 12(6), 1303-11 (2016)
  • B Narasimhan, JT Goodman, and JE Vela Ramirez, “Targeting pattern recognition receptors for next generation drug and vaccine delivery systems,” Ann Rev Biomed Eng 18, 25-49 (2016)
  • RJ Gourapura, B Narasimhan, and SK Mallapragada, “Respiratory nanoparticle-based vaccines and challenges associated with animal models and translation,” J Contr Rel 219, 622-631 (2015)
  • KA Ross, TM Brenza, AM Binnebose, Y Phanse, AG Kanthasamy, HE Gendelman, AK Salem, LC Bartholomay, BH Bellaire, and B Narasimhan, “Nano-enabled delivery of diverse payloads across complex biological barriers,” J Contr Rel 219, 548-59 (2015)
  • F Jia, SK Mallapragada, and B Narasimhan, “Multi-enzyme immobilization and co-localization on nanoparticles enabled by DNA hybridization,” Ind Eng Chem Res, 54(28), 10212-20 (2015)
  • AM Binnebose, SL Haughney, RL Martin, P Imerman, B Narasimhan, and BH Bellaire, “Polyanhydride nanoparticle delivery platform dramatically enhances killing of filarial worms,” PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 9(10), e0004173. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0004173 (2015)
  • SK Mallapragada, TM Brenza, JM McMillan, B Narasimhan, DS Sakaguchi, AD Sharma, S Zbarska, and HE Gendelman, “Nanoneuromedicine: Enabling nanomaterial, nanofabrication, and cellular technologies,” Nanomedicine: Nanotechnol Biol Med, 11(3), 715-29 (2015)
  • HE Gendelman, V Anantharam, T Bronich, S Ghaisas, H Jin, AG Kanthasamy, X Liu, J McMillan, RL Mosley, B Narasimhan, and SK Mallapragada, “Nanomedicines for degenerative, inflammatory, and infectious diseases of the nervous system,” Nanomedicine: Nanotechnol Biol Med, 11(3), 751-67 (2015)
  • TM Brenza, LK Petersen, Y Zhang, LM Huntimer, AE Ramer-Tait, JM Hostetter, MJ Wannemuehler, and B Narasimhan, “Pulmonary biodistribution and cellular uptake of intranasally administered monodisperse particles,” Pharm Res, 32, 1368-82 (2015)
  • BR Carrillo-Conde, RJ Darling, SJ Seiler, AE Ramer-Tait, MJ Wannemuehler, and B Narasimhan, “Sustained release and stabilization of therapeutic antibodies using amphiphilic polyanhydride nanoparticles,” Chem Eng Sci, 125, 98-107 (2015)
  • JE Vela Ramirez, JT Goodman, PM Boggiatto, R Roychoudhury, NLB Pohl, JM Hostetter, MJ Wannemuehler, and B Narasimhan, “Safety and biocompatibility of carbohydrate-functionalized polyanhydride nanoparticles,” The AAPS J 17(1), 256-67 (2015)
  • KA Ross, H Loyd, W Wu, LM Huntimer, S Ahmed, A Sambol, Z Flickinger, SR Broderick, K Rajan, T Bronich, SK Mallapragada, MJ Wannemuehler, S Carpenter, and B Narasimhan, “Polyanhydride-based H5 hemagglutinin influenza nanovaccines elicit protective virus neutralizing titers and cell-mediated immunity,” Int J Nanomed 10, 229-43 (2015)