
SANTIAGO CORREA
Self-Assembling Nanotechnologies for Precision Biomaterials
I work at the interface of materials science, nanotechnology, and immunology to develop new tools to engineer the immune system to improve human health. My research vision leverages nanotechnology and self-assembly behaviors to construct multifunctional materials that can close technological gaps in our ability to manipulate the immune system and other complex biological networks.
NEWS AND UPCOMING TALKS

SANTI JOINS THE FACULTY AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY'S DEPARTMENT OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
April 20, 2022
I am thrilled to join the vibrant research community in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, a community that has long trailblazed a path at the intersection of technology and medicine. My laboratory will focus on developing nanostructured biomaterials for immuno-engineering applications, where we seek to control the precise timing and location of biological signaling to reprogram the immune system to overcome diverse diseases.

SANTIAGO CORREA
I am an incoming Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, where I will open my lab on January 1st, 2023. My research group will develop biomaterials composed of nano-scale building blocks, which are used to reprogram the body’s immune system to fight cancer, autoimmune disease, and infection.
Currently, I am wrapping up my postdoctoral work as a Ruth L. Kirschstein NCI F32 Postdoctoral Fellow in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Stanford University, where I work on immunomodulatory biomaterials in Professor Eric Appel's research group. I am primarily interested in developing nanotechnology for both macro- and nanoscale drug delivery vehicles. Prior to my postdoctoral work, I received my PhD in Biological Engineering from MIT, where I developed self-assembled multi-functional nanoparticles for cancer therapy in Professor Paula Hammond's research group. My doctoral work centered on advancing the sub-cellular targeting, gene therapy, and diagnostic capabilities of nanomedicines. Before grad school, I received my BS in Biomedical Engineering from Yale University, where I conducted research on the foreign body response to brain implants in the Kyriakides Lab.
RESEARCH
Current and Past Areas of Study

TARGETING NANOMEDICINE TO SPECIFIC SUB-CELLULAR COMPARTMENTS

MULTI-FUNCTIONAL NANOMATERIALS FOR CANCER THERANOSTICS

INNOVATING NANOFABRICATION TO IMPROVE THROUGHPUT, SCALE, AND FUNCTION

INJECTABLE NANOPARTICLE-BASED HYDROGELS FOR LOCAL CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY
KEY PUBLICATIONS AND PRE-PRINTS
PRE-PRINT: INJECTABLE LIPOSOME-BASED SUPRAMOLECULAR HYDROGELS FOR THE PROGRAMMABLE RELEASE OF MULTIPLE PROTEIN DRUGS
Correa S†, Grosskopf AK†, Klich JH, Hernandez HL, Appel EA. bioRxiv. 2021 Sep 26. doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.26.461871
Correa S, et al. Injectable Nanoparticle-Based Hydrogels Enable the Safe and Effective Deployment of Immunostimulatory CD40 Agonist Antibodies. bioRxiv. 2021 June 28. doi.org/10.1101/2021.06.27.449987
Correa S, et al. Translational Applications of Hydrogels. Chemical Reviews. 2021; Article ASAP. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01177
Correa S, et al. Tuning Nanoparticle Interactions with Ovarian Cancer through Layer-by-Layer Modification of Surface Chemistry. ACS Nano. 2020; 14(2):2224-37. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.9b09213.
Boehnke N†, Correa S†, Hao L†, et al. Theranostic Layer-by-Layer Nanoparticles for Simultaneous Tumor Detection and Gene Silencing. Angewandte Chemie. 2020; 59, 2776. doi: 10.1002/anie.201911762.
SOLUTION CONDITIONS TUNE AND OPTIMIZE LOADING OF THERAPEUTIC POLYELECTROLYTES INTO LAYER-BY-LAYER FUNCTIONALIZED LIPOSOMES
(ACS NANO)
Correa S†, Boehnke N†, et al. Solution Conditions Tune and Optimize Loading of Therapeutic Polyelectrolytes into Layer-by-Layer Functionalized Liposomes. ACS Nano. 2019;13(5):5623-5634. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.9b00792.
Correa S†, Dreaden EC†, et al. Engineering Nanolayered Particles for Modular Drug Delivery. Journal of Controlled Release. 2016;240:364-386. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2016.01.040.
Correa S, et al. Highly Scalable, Closed-Loop Synthesis of Drug-Loaded, Layer-by-Layer Nanoparticles. Advanced Functional Materials. 2016;26(7):991-1003. doi: 10.1002/adfm.201504385.
† denotes co-first authors
FELLOWSHIPS AND AWARDS
Biomedical Engineering Society
American Chemical Society POLY/PMSE Division
Columbia University School of Engineering
RUTH L. KIRSCHSTEIN F32 NRSA POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP (2019)
National Cancer Institute
Siebel Foundation
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
National Science Foundation
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
DEAN'S DIVERSITY FELLOWSHIP (2012)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Yale University