Emily Pilkington

Dr. Emily Pilkington is a Research Fellow in the Department of Drug Delivery, Disposition & Dynamics at Monash University. Her work focuses on advancing nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems and vaccine technologies, with a particular emphasis on lipid nanoparticles and their applications in mRNA vaccines and cancer immunotherapy. She leads a project titled Identifying and overcoming mechanisms of immune evasion in cancer, investigating strategies to enhance immune responses against tumors. Her research integrates materials science, immunology, and biomedical engineering to address challenges in targeted drug delivery and disease treatment. Dr. Pilkington has authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications, with notable contributions on nanoparticle design, PEG immunogenicity, and vaccine development.

Her research interests span nanotechnology-driven solutions for infectious diseases, cancer therapy, and amyloidosis mitigation. Key projects include optimizing lipid nanoparticles for mRNA vaccines and exploring shape-controlled nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery. Collaborations with global teams highlight her interdisciplinary approach to solving complex biomedical challenges.

Recent work highlights include breakthroughs in engineered ferritin nanoparticles for vaccine efficacy enhancement and studies on anti-PEG antibodies induced by mRNA vaccines. She is currently involved in an active research initiative (2025–2029) targeting cancer immune evasion mechanisms, positioning her at the forefront of translational biomedical research.