Principles of Drug Delivery and Controlled Release Systems

Catalog description

This course provides fundamental understanding of controlled release system engineering with emphasis on biomaterial design and drug delivery formulation development. Students explore interdisciplinary topics at the engineering-medicine interface, including biomaterials science, pharmacokinetics, polymer chemistry, reaction kinetics, and transport phenomena. The curriculum covers controlled release system design across multiple delivery routes - transdermal, pulmonary, oral, gene therapy, and targeted cellular delivery - with particular attention to fabrication methods, FDA regulatory pathways, and physiological constraints. The course integrates four complementary components: (i) foundational lectures establishing core principles for controlled delivery system design; (ii) literature-based discussions featuring invited field experts presenting current research; (iii) comparative platform analysis through debate-style group presentations examining different delivery technologies for specific therapeutic challenges; and (iv) analytical reports with strategic recommendations, allowing students to practice design methodology and scientific proposal development. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or senior-level undergraduate in Bioengineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, or instructor permission.