We are developing new materials to improve and/or enable drug delivery, with an emphasis on macromolecular drugs. We are also developing new technologies for translation of cell therapies.

The overarching goal of our research is to develop bio-inspired materials for medical applications. Our general approach is to mimic pathways used by nature in our materials design. To this end, we have identified bioactive peptide and aptamer motifs through library selection. Using these motifs, we synthesize highly uniform and scalable materials with controlled compositions, structures and sizes that can be used for versatile biomedical applications. The Pun group focuses on door-opening technologies in drug delivery, including innovations for macromolecule delivery to the central nervous system, development of injectable hemostatic polymers, technologies for drug delivery to the kidney and materials for controlled modulation of the immune system for cancer treatment.