Ryan M. Pearson

Ryan M. Pearson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, where he also serves as Director of the Bio- and Nano-Technology Center. He holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

• PhD in Biopharmaceutical Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago
• Postdoctoral Research, Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan

Dr. Pearson's research lies at the intersection of nanotechnology and immune engineering, focusing on developing nanoparticle-based strategies to treat dysregulated immune responses in conditions such as sepsis, cancer, autoimmunity, and allergy. His lab investigates three primary areas: (1) metabolite-based polymers and nanoparticles for inflammation modulation, (2) protein- and mRNA-delivery systems for antigen-specific immunomodulation, and (3) the role of disease-specific biomolecular coronas in immune responses.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend in designing tunable nanoparticles that precisely control immune cell behavior—particularly macrophages, dendritic cells, and B cells—using physicochemical properties and corona engineering. These innovations aim to shift immune responses from pro-inflammatory to tolerogenic states, offering promising translational pathways for chronic inflammatory diseases.

• American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy New Investigator Award
• National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology and Education Rising Star Award
• Shock Society Faculty Research Award
• NIGMS Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (R35 MIRA)

Dr. Pearson actively mentors PhD, MS, and postdoctoral researchers and has secured major NIH funding, including an R01 from NIAID for sepsis immunotherapy. He serves on the editorial boards of Pharmaceutical Research and Drug Delivery & Translational Research, and has advised student chapters of AAPS. His lab, the Pearson Lab for Immunomodulatory Biomaterials, fosters a multidisciplinary team integrating immunology, polymer chemistry, and nanobioengineering.