Jessica Larsen

Jessica Larsen is the Carol and John ’63 Cromer Family Endowed Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Clemson University. She holds a BS (2012) and PhD (2017) in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia and Auburn University, respectively.

• Research Focus: Polymeric biomaterials for blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration in neurotherapeutics
• Key Techniques: Enzyme-responsive polymersomes, gene editing delivery, disease-specific stimuli response
• Disease Targets: Parkinson’s disease, GM1 gangliosidosis, glioblastoma, peripheral nerve injuries

Publications highlight advancements in

• CRISPR-Cas9 delivery
• MRI contrast agents
• RNA biology in neural repair
• Autophagy modulation
• BBB bypass strategies

Awards include:

• Phil and Mary Bradley Award for Mentoring in Creative Inquiry
• 2021 Outstanding Faculty Woman at Clemson University
• NSF CAREER Award (2021)
• 2022 South Carolina Governor’s Young Scientist Award

Advisees include PhD candidates E. Bagwell, M. Shin, N. Henkel, and D. Migliaccio, who contribute to her lab’s work on BBB-targeted therapies.

Lab: The Larsen Lab (www.thelarsenlab.com) specializes in nanotherapeutic strategies for central nervous system disorders, with a focus on polymer-based delivery systems.