The U.S. Department of Education’s Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program provides funds each year for doctoral students conducting research in drug design, development and delivery.  These focus areas are intended to broadly encompass topics relevant to pharmaceutical research. The GAANN program is open to eligible graduate students from all Georgia Tech schools and departments. 

“This year’s GAANN fellows were selected from an outstanding pool of applicants, who are carrying out high-impact research addressing a broad range of pharmaceutical needs” said Mark Prausnitz, PhD, Regents' professor and Love Family professor in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and director of CD4, who serves as the principle investigator of the program. 

The new class of fellows represent a diverse group of students from biomedical engineering, chemistry, chemical and biomolecular engineering and materials science and engineering.  

“While most academic training programs address one particular aspect of pharmaceutical research, at Georgia Tech, we have an integrative approach that brings together scientists and engineers from many disciplines to improve the process of pharmaceutical development that includes drug design, manufacturing and delivery. Through the GAANN training grant, we are training future leaders of pharmaceutical research who understand the complex, interconnected process of bringing a drug from idea to product,” Prausnitz added

Since the program’s inception in 2003, over 130 fellowships have been awarded.  Solicitation for the 2013-2013 fellows will take place beginning in April 2013.

The 2012-2013 GAANN fellows:

Rayaj Ahmed – Chemistry & Biochemistry
Samantha Au – Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
W. Chris Edens – Biomedical Engineering
Hiroyuki Ichikawa – Chemistry & Biochemistry
Russell Jampol – Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Yoo Chun Kim – Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Jonathan Park – Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Michelle Razumov – Chemistry & Biochemistry
Mark Spears – Chemistry & Biochemistry
Maeling Tapp – Material Science and Engineering
Aubrey Tiernan – Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Alex Weller – Material Science and Engineering
Jenna Wilson – Biomedical Engineering