Webster tapped for award

Thomas Webster, professor and chair of Northeastern University’s Department of Chemical Engineering and president of the U.S. Society for Biomaterials, has been selected for the 580 Wenzhou City Overseas Talent Program Award. Webster focuses his research on nanoparticles, particularly nanomedicine at the Webster Nanomedicine Lab. The Providence resident is also the founding editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Nanomedicine, as well as on the editorial board of 15 other journals. He holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

What are some of your most impactful discoveries or patents?

Our biggest discovery that will be used in this particular collaboration is that nanoparticles alone can reduce infection. Today, clinically, antibiotics have to be used in order to decrease infection. This causes bacteria to mutate and develop a resistance to conventional antibiotics, which creates new bacteria that we don’t know how to kill.

What are your plans for the 580 Wenzhou City Overseas Talent Program Award?

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We will collaborate with our Chinese collaborators to use similar nanoparticles that we have discovered for other applications to improve medical devices used in the eye [such as contact lenses, intraocular lenses, eye sensors, etc.]. Devices used in the eye often become infected and we can use nanotechnology to prevent that while keeping them functioning.

How do you find the time to be involved with so many projects?

Having hard-working, creative and innovative students allows me to conduct numerous projects. In fact, [having] Chinese students studying in my lab is one reason I was selected for this great honor. I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by so many talented students, which allows us to make these advances towards improving human health through the use of nanotechnology. •

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