Dean’s Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Department of Bioengineering
Email: larsenj@clemson.edu
Visit the Larsen LabBiosketch
Dr. Jessica Larsen obtained her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2012 and her doctoral degree in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University in 2017. She joined the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Clemson University immediately following completion of her doctoral degree in 2017. She obtained a joint appointment in Bioengineering in 2019. In 2021, she received the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CECAS) Award, making her a Dean’s Assistant Professor.
The Larsen research group is established in the use of polymeric nanotechnology to understand and treat diseases of the central nervous system. As such, they have relevant expertise in neuroscience, materials engineering, and biomedical science. Larsen’s team project focused on the development and application of polymeric materials to understand brain disease was recently funded through the National Science Foundation early CAREER program ($519,000 from 2021 to 2026). Larsen mentors 5 PhD students and ~20 undergraduate students each semester on independent projects relating to the treatment, imaging, or diagnosis of a multitude of brain and central nervous system diseases. Her passion for mentorship led her to be selected to give a TEDxClemson University talk in February 2022 about adjusting the classroom to engage the modern student. In these mentoring efforts, Larsen was the recipient of the 2020 Phil and Mary Bradley Award for Mentoring in Creative Inquiry and the 2021 Outstanding Woman Faculty Award from Clemson University’s Commission on Women. Larsen is considered a valuable expert in the field of central nervous system (CNS) drug delivery, demonstrated by her recent appointment to the me a founding member of the board of a new Controlled Release Society focus group looking at this topic (Neural Drug Delivery). She serves the university as a member of the advisory board for Clemson’s Creative Inquiry Program and for the CECAS Undergraduate Research Grants Advisory Board.
Research
The Larsen Lab is focused on using polymeric biomaterials to advance and understand the treatment of neurologic and central nervous system disorders. Major focuses include neuropathic lysosomal storage disease, Parkinson’s, spinal cord regeneration, and glioblastoma. By synthesizing on demand polymers with specific properties, the Larsen Lab is able to use a pathology drive approach to biomaterials design, increasing the potential for clinical success.
Publications
Kanduri, V.*; LaVigne, D.*; Larsen, J. Current Advances Towards the Encapsulation of Cas9. ACS Macro Letters. 2021, 10, XXX, 1576-1589 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.1c00538
Paruchuri, B.^; Gopal, V.^; Sarupria, S.; Larsen, J. Towards enzyme-responsive polymersome drug delivery. Nanomedicine. 6 Dec 2021. DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2021-0194
Pierce, C.*; Katterman, C.*; Larsen, J.; Modulating Shape of Polyester Based Polymersomes using Osmotic Pressure. Journal of Visual Experiments (170), e62548, doi:10.3791/62548 (2021)
Katterman, C.*; Pierce, C.*; Larsen, J.; Combining Nanoparticle Shape Modulation and Polymersome Technology in Drug Delivery. ACS Applied Bio Materials 2021. 8 Mar 2021. doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsabm.1c00203
Maghak, L.*; Larsen, J.M. Intact or In Pieces? A Look at How Clinically-Approved, Biodegradable Block Co-Polymers Affect Blood Components. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering 2020 6 (9), 4846-4850; DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.0c00680
Pitman, M. A^.; Larsen, J. M. Characterization of Self-Assembling Nanostructures in Whole Blood. Analytical Methods. 3 Apr 2020. doi: https://doi.org/10.1039/D0AY00170H
Iqbal, S., Blenner, M., Alexander-Bryant, A., Larsen, J. Polymersomes for Therapeutic Delivery of Protein and Nucleic Acid Macromolecules: From Design to Therapeutic Applications. Biomacromolecules. 2020. doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.9b01754
L’Amoreaux, N.*, Ali, A.*, Iqbal, S., Larsen, J. Persistent Prolate Polymersomes for Enhanced Co-Delivery of Hydrophilic and Hydrophobic Drugs. Nanotechnology. Accepted Manuscript online 15 January 2020. PMCID: 31940601 doi: https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6528/ab6bf1