Mao and Reddy to Serve as INBT Leadership
Hai-Quan Mao, a professor in the departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, and the associate director of the Institute for NanoBioTechnology (INBT), has been named its director, effective immediately. Additionally, Sashank Reddy, an assistant professor in the departments of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Biomedical Engineering at JHU’s School of Medicine and the senior medical director of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, has been named the INBT’s associate director. Established in 2006, the INBT is a group of more than 60 core, associate, and affiliate faculty members dedicated to pursuing breakthroughs at the interface of nanotechnology and living systems.
With a shared vision for how the INBT can continue its tremendous success in fundamental research while also maximizing its impact on society, Hai-Quan and Sashank are well poised to lead this new chapter. By augmenting and expanding the institute’s areas of scientific focus, enhancing collaborations across the university, and providing members with resources for effective translation, Hai-Quan and Sashank are committed to building INBT’s preeminence in research and commercialization.
In his statement about Mao’s appointment, Dean Ed Schlesinger says he is confident that the continuity in leadership Hai-Quan provides, as well as his success in commercializing his innovations, will continue to be great assets to the INBT. In addition to maintaining an active research program, Hai-Quan has been remarkably adept at translating the multiple novel nanomaterials for regenerative medicine and therapeutics delivery that he has created. Among Hai-Quan’s many research accomplishments is the development of nanofiber-based scaffolds for regenerative engineering of diverse therapeutically important tissues. Hai-Quan has also created nanoparticles with tunable size, shape and surface features that mimic natural viral particles, enabling precise delivery of genes, proteins, and drugs. In these efforts he has established collaborations with many leading colleagues at the School of Medicine and beyond.
Sashank, who has been an affiliated researcher at the INBT and holds a secondary appointment in BME, is also an accomplished entrepreneur and biomedical innovator. The primary focus of his research has been on mechanisms of regeneration and homeostasis in skin, and the development of nanomaterials to support tissue regeneration and cell and gene delivery. Earlier in his career, Sashank was at Third Rock Ventures, where he worked to launch early stage biotechnology companies. In his role at JHTV, Sashank works with leading faculty to enhance the real-world impact of discoveries through new company creation and corporate partnerships.
Building on their shared research interests, complementary expertise, and friendship, Sashank and Hai-Quan have co-founded two companies: LifeSprout, Inc., and SpaceTime Therapeutics. LifeSprout is developing a revolutionary suite of technologies for tissue restoration and cell delivery, with its first program now in clinical trials. SpaceTime aims to transform the delivery of therapeutic proteins and peptides, an area of increasing importance for pharma and biotech.