{"62143":{"#nid":"62143","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Dr. Julie Champion Receives Three Research Grants for Her Work on Developing Protein-based Therapeutic Biomaterials with Anti-inflammatory Properties","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty\/champion.php\u0022\u003EJulie Champion\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of  Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\n at Georgia Tech, has been named a  recipient of three research grants \nfor her work on developing protein-based  therapeutic biomaterials with \nanti-inflammatory properties.\n        \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first award is sponsored by the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtec.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech and Emory  Center for Regenerative Medicine (GTEC)\u003C\/a\u003E\n for a project to study new approaches  for engineering multi-functional\n materials that control inflammation and  infection to improve wound \nhealing. The award provides funding for one year.\u003C\/p\u003E\n        \u003Cp\u003EDr. Champion\u2019s study will  focus on minimizing  inflammation \nin severe wounds while preventing  infection. Inflammation is a critical\n step in the wound  healing response, not only in preventing infection, \nbut also by providing some of  the signals required for new tissue \nformation and remodeling. However, severe  wounds, such as those seen in\n combat, often exhibit a prolonged inflammatory  period and significant \nscar formation instead of regeneration of functional  tissue. Scar \ntissue can prohibit movement and constrict further over time,  requiring\n physical therapy and often, surgical intervention. \u003C\/p\u003E\n        \u003Cp\u003EIn order to control inflammation, Dr.  Champion\u2019s lab is \ndesigning materials that degrade inflammatory chemical  signals called \ncytokines. They  incorporate enzymes from bacteria that naturally \ndestroy cytokines. The  drawback of decreased inflammation is increased \nlikelihood of infection. To  avoid this possibility, antibiotics will be\n sequestered in the materials and  released over time\u2014thus providing the\n second functionality for wound healing.\u003C\/p\u003E\n        \u003Cp\u003EThe second award, a Broadening Participation Research  Initiation Grant in Engineering (BRIGE), is sponsored by the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/div\/index.jsp?div=CBET\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport  Systems (CBET) Division\u003C\/a\u003E of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation (NSF)\u003C\/a\u003E.\n The  BRIGE funding, a two-year award, will be used to create protein \nnanoparticles  that mimic the ability of human pathogens to control \ninflammation. The particles will have applications in autoimmune  \ndiseases such as arthritis. Proteins  from viruses and bacteria will be \nlinked together to create \u201ccytokine sponges\u201d  that sequester \ninflammatory cytokines inside the body. The trick is to block cytokine \nsignaling by  immune cells without alerting them to the presence of \nforeign proteins. The Champion lab hopes to achieve this goal by  \naltering the shape and surface chemistry of the particles. Equally \nimportant in this research are  activities to encourage participation of\n underrepresented groups in  engineering. For example, Dr. Champion is \nhosting middle school girls in her  lab to design their own \u201cdrug \ndelivery particles\u201d when they visit campus for a  week-long technology \n\u0026amp; engineering camp. \u003C\/p\u003E\n        \u003Cp\u003EThe third award is a joint project with Dr. Andy Neish of  \nEmory University Medical School who studies inflammatory disorders of \nthe  intestine. The award is given by the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/krfoundation.org\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EKenneth Rainin Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E\n for one year.  The project seeks to develop new therapeutics for \ninflammatory bowl disease by  delivering a bacterial protein that \ninterferences with inflammatory pathways  inside the epithelial cells  \nlining the intestine. For their contribution,  the Champion lab is \nsynthesizing nanoparticles capable of protecting the sensitive  protein \nduring its travel through the gastrointestinal tract to the inflamed  \nregions of the gut and inside epithelial cells. Achieving this goal \nrequires particles that  change their properties in response to the many\n different environments to which  they will be exposed en route.\u003C\/p\u003E\n        \u003Cp\u003EDr. Champion joined the School of Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular\n  Engineering in 2009 after completing a postdoctoral fellowship at \nCalifornia  Institute of Technology. She received her doctoral degree \nfrom University of  California Santa Barbara in 2007 and her bachelor\u2019s \ndegree from University of  Michigan in 2001.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty\/champion.php\u0022\u003EJulie Champion\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of  Chemical \u0026amp; Biomolecular Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\n at Georgia Tech, has been named a  recipient of three research grants \nfor her work on developing protein-based  therapeutic biomaterials with \nanti-inflammatory properties.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Dr. Julie Champion, assistant professor in the School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech, has been named a recipient of three research grants."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2010-10-13 16:49:43","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:07:34","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-10-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2010-10-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"62142":{"id":"62142","type":"image","title":"Dr. Julie Champion","body":null,"created":"1449176355","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:59:15","changed":"1475894539","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:42:19","alt":"Dr. Julie Champion","file":{"fid":"191411","name":"champion.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/champion_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/champion_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":796389,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/champion_2.jpg?itok=nxfAn9k-"}}},"media_ids":["62142"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty\/champion.php","title":"Dr. Julie Champion\u0027s Faculty Profile"}],"groups":[{"id":"1240","name":"School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"3024","name":"biomaterials"},{"id":"1704","name":"chemical \u0026 biomolecular engineering"},{"id":"560","name":"chemical engineering"},{"id":"10963","name":"cytokines"},{"id":"7243","name":"inflammatory"},{"id":"10961","name":"julie champion"},{"id":"10962","name":"wound treatment"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJosie G. Giles \u2022 ChBE@GT\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n311 Ferst Drive NW\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, GA 30332-0100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n404.385.2299 \u2022 404.385.0185 fax\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:josie@gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\njosie@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/twitter.com\/GTChBE\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ewww.chbe.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/twitter.com\/GTChBE\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/twitter.com\/GTChBE\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/twitter.com\/GTChBE\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["josie@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}