Undergraduate Research Opportunity

Influenza Vaccination Using a Microneedle Patch
(Two positions available)

Position title: Undergraduate Research Assistant

Location: In the laboratory of Prof. Mark Prausnitz, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.

Duration: The positions begin ASAP through Spring semester 2013.

Qualifications: The candidate should be currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or a related major. Prior experience working in a laboratory setting is an advantage but not required.

Background: The National Institutes of Health has awarded Georgia Tech a grant to develop a novel dissolving microneedle patch for influenza vaccination and bring it into a Phase I clinical trial. Microneedles are micron-scale structures that painlessly pierce into the skin surface, thereby depositing vaccine in the upper layers of skin. This route of administration has a number of advantages, including the possibility of self-administration and increased vaccine immunogenicity.

Job description: These positions provide a unique opportunity to do laboratory R&D as part of a product development team that is translating a dissolving microneedle patch for influenza vaccination into a Phase I clinical trial.

Position #1 (bioanalytical). The candidate will assist in preparing formulations, carrying out assays for quantitative analysis of vaccine loading in patches and assessment of its stability in test prototypes. The candidate will gain knowledge and hands-on experience running various analytical assays such as ELISA, HPLC and protein assays.

Position #2 (pharmaceutical engineering). The candidate will provide support in benchmarking both process yield and variability (content uniformity) of microneedles manufacturing processes; perform excipient screening experiments, which includes making vaccine solutions, casting them onto microneedle molds, curing these microneedles, and determining the suitability of these microneedle formulation candidates; and evaluate device designs and formulation candidates using both quantitative and qualitative methods.

The candidates will have a chance to work on a product development team within an academic setting. The team working on this project will include researchers at Georgia Tech and Emory University Medical School, in addition to a network of third party contractors.

Contact: If interested, please send your resume, unofficial transcript and cover letter to Dr. Priya Kalluri (priya.kalluri@chbe.gatech.edu) for Position #1 and to Winston Pewin (o_o@gatech.edu) for Position #2.