Laird Forrest

Laird Forrest is a Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy. His research focuses on developing targeted therapies for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s. He leads the Forrest Group, which explores cancer immunotherapy using canine models, Alzheimer’s drug development through metabolic engineering, and localized drug delivery systems. His work emphasizes biomaterials for enhancing therapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity. Key projects include hyaluronan-based carriers for immunomodulation, OAA-based treatments for Alzheimer’s, and iron-chelating materials for bone repair.

Education: PhD in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (University of Illinois), MS and BS in Chemical Engineering (University of Illinois and Auburn University).

Research Interests: Cancer immunotherapy (TLR7/8 agonists), Alzheimer’s bioenergetics, targeted drug delivery, and pharmacokinetic modeling. His lab translates preclinical findings into clinical applications, collaborating with veterinary centers for canine cancer trials.

Recent work includes localized cisplatin therapy in dogs, hyaluronan-conjugated nanoparticles for lung cancer, and PBPK models for disease-state pharmacokinetics. He has contributed to over 100 publications and holds patents on drug delivery systems.