Daniel Pack

Daniel Pack is a Professor of Chemical and Materials Engineering and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Kentucky, holding the Ashland Inc. Chair in Chemical Engineering since 2012. His research focuses on the design and development of advanced drug and nucleic acid delivery systems through elucidation of intracellular biomaterial processing mechanisms, with applications in human gene therapy for disease prevention and treatment.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology (1997)
• B.S. in Chemical Engineering (summa cum laude), University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (1990)

Professor Pack's research centers on drug delivery and gene therapy, with emphasis on non-viral vectors like polyethylenimine (PEI). His work investigates chemical modifications (acetylation, succinylation) to overcome serum instability and intracellular barriers, enabling efficient nucleic acid delivery. Key applications include cancer therapy, CRISPR/Cas9 delivery, and biosynthesis of therapeutic compounds in mammalian cells. His approach integrates fundamental biomaterials science with translational biomedical engineering to address critical challenges in therapeutic efficacy.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals sustained innovation in PEI-based polyplex engineering, with dominant themes in chemical modification strategies for enhanced serum stability, receptor-targeted delivery systems (particularly folate-mediated), and expansion into CRISPR/Cas9 applications. His work consistently bridges fundamental structure-function relationships with therapeutic outcomes, while recent publications demonstrate growing integration of biosynthetic approaches for natural product production in mammalian cells.

His scientific awards include:

• 2008 Xerox Award for Faculty Research, College of Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• 2007 Multi-Year Faculty Achievement Award, College of Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• 2007 Engineering Council Award for Excellence in Advising, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• 2006 Alumni Discretionary Award, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• 2006 Engineering Council Award for Excellence in Advising, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• 2004-2005 Beckman Fellow, Center for Advanced Study, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• 2004 Controlled Release Society/Genencor Outstanding Consumer & Diversified Products Paper Award
• 2003-2006 3M Young Faculty Award
• 2003 Excellence in Teaching Award, School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• 2002-2007 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, National Science Foundation
• 2000 Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, Fall 2000, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• 2000 Excellence in Teaching Award, School of Chemical Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• 2000 Collins Scholar, Academy for Excellence in Engineering Education, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• 1997-1999 National Institutes of Health Post-doctoral Fellowship, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• 1996 Distinguished Graduate Student Lectureship, California Institute of Technology
• 1995 Materials Research Society Graduate Student Award
• 1991-1994 Landau Fellowship, California Institute of Technology
• 1990 University Scholar, University of Illinois
• 1990 Senior Alumni Award (Chemical Engineering), University of Illinois

Professor Pack has demonstrated exceptional commitment to student mentorship, evidenced by multiple Engineering Council Awards for Excellence in Advising (2006, 2007). His research has been substantially supported by competitive grants including the NSF CAREER Award (2002-2007) and 3M Young Faculty Award (2003-2006), with funding spanning biomaterials engineering, gene delivery mechanisms, and therapeutic applications. His interdisciplinary collaborations extend across pharmaceutical sciences and biomedical engineering.

His laboratory at the University of Kentucky pioneers the development of next-generation delivery platforms, currently focusing on hybrid polymer/nanoceria systems for combined gene and antioxidant therapy, chemically modified polyplexes for CRISPR/Cas9 applications, and engineered mammalian cell factories for natural product biosynthesis. The team maintains strong translational focus through partnerships with clinical researchers for oncology applications and regenerative medicine.