JOIN US AT THE LAB OR REGISTER TO WATCH ONLINE: https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bfoqFeRDQYi5bYR2tCVuDwThe University of Florida Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience Evenings at Whitney Lecture Series continues Thursday, September 11, 2025, at 6 p.m. with the program titled “Little Particles for Big Diseases”. Dr. Jamal Lewis, Associate Professor J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, will be the speaker.
This free lecture will be presented in person at the UF Whitney Laboratory Lohman Auditorium, 9505 Ocean Shore Boulevard, in St. Augustine. Those interested also have the option of registering to watch via Zoom live the night of the lecture.
Register to watch online:
https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bfoqFeRDQYi5bYR2tCVuDw
In this talk, Dr. Lewis will focus on two particulate systems currently under development in his lab, which attempt to control critical cellular and humoral mediators that cause conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis [RA] and autoimmune autism.
Current paradigms for the treatment of autoimmune diseases (e.g., RA) are woefully inadequate, often missing the mark on desired physiological responses and not targeting the root cause of the disease. Predictably, novel approaches to re-establish immune homeostasis in patients afflicted by autoimmune conditions are now under intense investigation.
The Lewis lab is developing an array of multifunctional, biomaterial-based ‘regulatory vaccines’ that can be easily administered to remediate some of the prevalent inflammatory diseases.
Additionally, the Lewis lab is currently investigating the interaction of innate immune cells and biodegradable polymers (e.g., PLGA). More specifically, they are interested in deciphering the mechanisms that govern the effects of these materials on innate immune cells. Finally, the Lewis lab is investigating vomocytosis for its potential to enhance delivery of particulates to the brain. Likened to the Trojan horse used by the Greeks to infiltrate Troy, this approach has the potential to tremendously boost the efficacy of CNS drug delivery.
Jamal Lewis is an Associate Professor in J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida. Prior to his professorship, Dr. Lewis was Senior Scientist at OneVax, LLC (now Inspira Therapeutics) and a Post-doctoral Associate in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida, where he also received a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering in 2012. Dr. Lewis completed his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Florida A&M University in 2004, and M.S. in Biomedical Engineering in 2007 from North Carolina State University. His research, educational and entrepreneurial efforts have been supported by the NIH and DOD. His honors and awards include the prestigious NIGMS Early and Established Investigator MIRAs, UF Innovate Inventor of the Year, Regenerative Medicine Workshop Young Faculty Award, and the Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Young Innovators Award. Dr. Lewis serves as an associate editor for the flagship journal of SFB - Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A (JMBR-A). Finally, Dr. Lewis is currently the Graduate Coordinator in the J. Crayton Pruitt Department of Biomedical Engineering, where he oversees and coordinates all the Master’s in Biomedical Engineering degree programs.
Event Venue
Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Marineland, United States
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