A national organization will recognize biomedical engineering professor Nicholas Peppas for his research in biomaterials and drug delivery at the January 2024 Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering annual conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico.   

Named after renowned bioengineer Shu Chien, the Biomedical Engineering Society Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering Special Interest Group awarded the 2024 CMBE Shu Chien Achievement Award to Peppas. It’s the most prestigious honor granted to members who demonstrate significant contributions to the field of cellular and molecular bioengineering, according to their website.

Peppas’ recognized research focuses on biomaterials and drug delivery, specifically within the human body. Biomaterials are natural or synthetic materials interacting with the human body, like cartilage for knees or vocal cords. Drug delivery refers to systems that administer and carry drugs into or throughout the body, like finding new techniques for alternative injection methods. 

Since starting at UT in December 2002, Peppas has been a chemical engineering, pediatrics, surgery and pharmaceuticals professor. He is the director of the Institute for Biomaterials, Drug Delivery and Regenerative Medicine and holds the Cockrell Family Regents Chair in Engineering. 

In his 48 years in the field, Peppas was awarded about 180 national and international awards and is recognized for being a pioneer in the field of drug delivery and biomaterials. He is a member of several prestigious scientific academies and has many cited publications.

Peppas said that while the awards are nice, his overall goal is to come up with better systems and treatments to improve patient’s quality of life.

“For example, (we want) to have somebody with a heart problem live another five years, somebody with a cancer in the brain live another 12 months,” Peppas said. “Twelve months is important, you know?”  

Peppas said he is proud of many of his research projects, including the development of an oral delivery of insulin to diabetic patients, but his proudest accomplishment is his students. 

“My students are my most important accomplishment — taking these little students at 18 years old and delivering a true scientist who can solve any problem in the world,” Peppas said. 

Ph.D. candidate Fabiola Chapa-Villareal works in Peppas’ lab. She said it’s a privilege to work with a major figure in the field and wants to honor his legacy with her work. 

“He pushed me to what I could achieve,” Chapa-Villareal said. “He knew that I could do it and I feel like that has made a big impact on my work.”