CelluSeal

Dr. Emmanuela Bonglack completed her PhD in Pharmacology at Duke University under the supervision of Professor Micah Luftig, where she developed a novel therapeutic strategy to target lymphomas caused by Epstein-Barr Virus and other related viruses, which often have limited options for treatment in the clinic. During this period, she also obtained a doctoral certificate in Global Health, broadening her understanding of population-specific risk factors for chronic diseases like lymphoma and other cancers, as well as the barriers to favorable health outcomes in high, middle, and low-income settings. Currently, as a 2022 Schmidt Science Fellow in Professor Mike Inouye’s lab, she is crossing disciplinary boundaries to integrate multi-omics and advanced statistical methods to study the role of iron-deficiency anemia in cardiometabolic disease risk in ancestrally diverse global populations. In the long term, the findings from her research could be used to identify population-specific drug targets to treat highly prevalent cardiometabolic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and chronic kidney disease, which are on the rise, particularly in developing countries. Emmanuela’s interest in global health came about during her formative years growing up in Cameroon, where the negative effects of poor health infrastructure at both local and national levels, could be seen all around. Access to counterfeit medications often accounted for a high number of preventable deaths in her community and pointed at a gap that urgently needed to be addressed to reduce disease mortality and improve overall health outcomes not just for her community but similar ones worldwide. Given her multidisciplinary background in the fields of pharmacology, global health, and chronic disease research, Emmanuela hopes to integrate her knowledge of both the scientific and systemic contributors to disease mortality, alongside her personal experiences, to health outcomes across diverse global settings, particularly focusing on the pharmaceutical industry.

Nicole Wojtania was awarded her MPhil with Distinction in Biotechnology in 2023, where she researched the synthesis and application of nanoparticles for more sensitive cancer and fibrosis detection under Dr. Ljiljana Fruk and Dr. Mick Mantle. Prior to that, she graduated from Harvard University, studying Bioengineering and Economics. During her time there, her more recent research focused on manufacturing microneedles for easier, more comfortable vaccine delivery, which also removed cold-chain requirements. She also spent her time researching the synthesis of chiral nematic cellulose nanocrystals into free-standing films, during which her fascination with bio-nanotechnology and scientific translation began. Apart from scientific research, Nicky has a breadth of experience in the consulting and pharmaceutical industries, ranging from BCG and Huron Life Sciences to Ionis Pharmaceuticals and Vaxess Technologies. Nicky has always been interested in translating scientific advancements into practical applications for societal benefit. She hopes to combine her deep-rooted interest in bio-nanotechnology with recent practical industry learnings to help lower the high counterfeiting rates in the pharmaceutical industry.