Jeremiah Gassensmith

Dr. Jeremiah Gassensmith is an Associate Professor in Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), affiliated with the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. He holds additional roles as Affiliated Faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Associate Member of the Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center (UT Southwestern). His research focuses on nanomedicine, stimuli-responsive biomaterials, and molecular imaging, particularly leveraging virus-like particles and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) for vaccine development, targeted therapy, and non-invasive diagnostics.

Professional preparation includes a B.S. (Indiana University, 2003), Ph.D. (University of Notre Dame, 2009), and postdoctoral training in nanotechnology (Northwestern University, 2013). Key research areas include stabilizing vaccines via MOF encapsulation, developing light-responsive virus-based drug carriers, and creating organic radical contrast agents for MRI. He is recognized for innovations in room-temperature-stable vaccines, photothermal therapy, and biocompatible imaging agents.

His work has been honored with awards such as the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship (2024), Royal Society of Chemistry Fellowship (2022), and NSF Career Award (2017). He mentors a diverse team of researchers, including graduate and undergraduate students, and contributes to scientific leadership as an Associate Editor of Chemical Engineering Journal. Ongoing projects aim to translate lab discoveries into clinical tools for addressing global health challenges like vaccine accessibility and antibiotic-resistant infections.