Dong Wang

Dong Wang, PhD is a Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Pharmacy. He joined UNMC in 2005 as a tenure-track assistant professor, was promoted to associate professor with tenure in 2008, and to full professor in 2014.

Dr. Wang received his PhD in polymer chemistry and physics from Peking University in 1998 under Professor Xin-de Feng, followed by postdoctoral training at the University of Utah in pharmaceutical chemistry with Professor Jindřich Kopeček. He served as a research assistant professor at Utah for two years before joining UNMC.

His research primarily focuses on prodrug and nanomedicine development for inflammatory, musculoskeletal, and craniofacial diseases. His work spans macromolecular therapies for inflammatory diseases, dentrotropic therapies for oral and craniofacial conditions, targeted therapies for musculoskeletal disorders, click chemistry applications for drug delivery, biocompatible polymers for biomedical use, and prodrug design. His publications show a consistent trajectory toward developing thermoresponsive polymeric prodrugs for sustained drug delivery with reduced side effects, particularly in treating conditions like osteoarthritis, periodontitis, lupus nephritis, and spinal cord injuries.

• Over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts
• More than 110 patents and patent applications as lead inventor
• Co-founder of three start-up biotech companies

Dr. Wang has made significant contributions to translating laboratory discoveries into commercial applications, with several patents licensed to industry. His teaching portfolio includes Introduction to Pharmaceutical Sciences (PHSC550), Pharmaceutical Sciences I (PHSC570), Quantitative Pharmaceutical Sciences (PHSC845), Physical Pharmacy (PHSC885), Nanoimaging and Bioimaging (PHSC848), and he coordinates Innovative Drug Delivery Systems (PHSC 851) and Pharmaceutical Chemistry for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine (PHSC 852). His laboratory focuses on developing macromolecular therapeutic platforms with particular emphasis on improving drug delivery while minimizing adverse effects.